The Rising of Two Heroes, Volume 2
by saturn95
Summary: After surviving the night and getting back on their feet, Mario and Luigi set out on an epic adventure to rescue the princesses from the evil Bowser. But it turns out that Bowser has a few tricks up his sleeve, and the two brothers have no choice but to survive these obstacles which stand in their way. Will Mario and Luigi survive? Find out in this breathtaking second installment!
1. Part 1, Chapter 1

**1**

"Is something wrong, Luigi?" Mario asked as the two brothers were wandering the empty, grassy, and slightly mountainous terrain of the Mushroom Kingdom. They were now about twenty miles from the city of Rogueport and the storm had since passed, but the clouds were still present. The sun was beginning to set along the mountainous western horizon, creating shades of gold, orange and pink in the thick clouds as they started to clear. A slight breeze resembling the one which occurred the night before blew across the wet prairie and through the nearby trees and bushes in a peaceful manner. However, the brothers once again knew that they were in a situation that was anything _but_ that.

The two brothers had finally managed to get themselves into more suitable clothing, after which they made they the rough decision of throwing the black suits into the garbage. They wouldn't be able to carry the suits with them and they really saw no use for wearing them again (plus there was the unfortunate fact that they lost everything else they had owned in a fiery explosion). Mario was now wearing a blood-red long-sleeve shirt and pair of light-blue coveralls along with a pair of sporty brown boots. Luigi had chosen a similar outfit except he chose a lime-green shirt with a pair of dark-blue coveralls. Both brothers also carried with them a pair of white gloves which they would save for colder climates and other situations they might run into.

"Luigi!" Mario yelled. "Tell me what it is that's bothering you!"

"Nothing's wrong!" Luigi finally replied. "I was just admiring this spectacular sunset. It reminds me of when we went to the amusement park as small toddlers."

Mario suddenly remembered that time and looked to the west. He managed to bring a tear to his right eye, knowing that it was one of the only times that the two brothers had ever to have fun together as children. It made him happy.

"I'm glad that you remember that." Mario said. "That was one of our golden moments! It really meant a lot to me."

"Did it mean as much to you as being called the 'athletic child'?" Luigi asked.

"All I can say is that I wish I could relive those times. Now, life to me is just black and white."

"Same here." sulked Luigi as they continued climbing up and down rolling hills and over small boulders. As they continued, the trees started to become thicker and the sky was beginning to get darker as twilight started to take over. Mario pulled out the book and was still able to read about the estimated location of the first Crystal Star which Lord Crump was after.

"According to this book," Mario said, "the first Crystal Star is located underground in an old abandoned mine accessible through an old pipe."

"I knew our plumbing skills would come in handy!" Luigi said. "You know, professor Frankly forgot to mention the pipes as a way of transporting ourselves throughout the kingdom!"

"Hey, you're right!" Mario said. "If we can find any warp pipes along our journey, they can take us to different parts of the Mushroom Kingdom in a matter of minutes. I think the professor is still a little old-fashioned if you ask me."

The two brothers chuckled as they continued walking through the forest. The already waning moon was starting to rise in the east and casted eerie shadows through the large aspen trees. Luigi started to shiver at the sight of them.

"Please don't tell me you think there's a ghost out here!" Mario said.

"I don't." Luigi lied. Mario knew he was lying too.

"You can't fool me, lover boy!" Mario teased. "I know when you're afraid of something. Now, come on! There's no time to waste!" Mario grabbed Luigi's arm and they both continued through the dark twilight.

…

Stars were beginning to shine down on the two brothers as the sky turned black. Luigi, having always been called the 'star child', was able to able to point out a few bright planets as well. Both of the brothers decided to stop and do some stargazing.

"See that really bright point over in the west?" he asked Mario, pointing to a cream-colored star.

"What about it?" Mario said.

"Do you know what planet that is?"

Mario thought about it for a moment and suddenly remembered everything that his brother had once told him from astronomy class. Mario looked up at the point again and guessed.

"Is it Venus?" Mario asked.

"Close, but no." Luigi said. "It's not bright enough. Plus it's in the wrong place in its orbit to view it right now."

"How about Jupiter?" Mario guessed.

"You guessed it brother!" Luigi said. "How about the one that's next to it?"

Mario looked over and saw a bright red point and knew hat it was right away.

"That's Mars!" said Mario. "Duh."

"It's the red coloring that gives it away." Luigi said. "There's one more planet up in the sky and it's above Jupiter. Any guesses?"

Luigi pointed up to another bright point that was also cream-colored like Jupiter, but dimmer. Mario stopped and began to think. He knew that his brother already knew the answer, but he was afraid that he would get the answer wrong.

_Sometimes I hate it when my brother gives me these kinds of tests! _Mario thought to himself. _I wish I was smart like him!_

"I'll give you a hint." said Luigi. "It's my favorite planet."

"Just tell me." Mario said. "My brain really hurts."

"It's Saturn!" said Luigi. "I've only told you that who knows how many times!"

_Saturn, the ringed planet!_ Mario thought. _Should've guessed!_

The two brothers continued looking up at the sky and saw a few meteors shoot across the sky in long, bright streaks as they burned through the atmosphere. Mario looked at the three planets again and saw something strange.

"Luigi, have you ever seen so many planets in the sky at the same time?" he asked.

"No." said Luigi. "I've also never seen planets in the same general part of the sky either. I remember reading in the newspaper the night before the king's funeral that there's going to be a planetary alignment in a couple of weeks."

"An alignment?" Mario questioned with interest.

"Yes." Luigi replied. "Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will all be on the other side of the sun relative to Earth and form somewhat of a straight line."

"How often does this happen?" Mario asked. "Do you know?"

"It depends." said Luigi. "I read that alignments like these usually happen around every forty years or so if you only count the moon with the planets. But this alignment will include the moon, the planets, and the sun!"

"How is that different?" Mario asked. "Wouldn't the sun be in line with the planets anyway?"

"Well, let me paraphrase what I just said. In this configuration, the sun will be in front while the other five planets involved will be lined up behind it. This means that Earth will be still be lined up with the other planets, but will not be on the same side of the sun as the others. I read that these kinds of alignments are harder to predict."

"So we aren't going to see the other planets when it happens?" Mario asked.

"Unfortunately." Luigi said. "And, based on current calculations from the Mushroom Kingdom's chief astronomers, an alignment like this upcoming one is not expected to happen again for another 675 years!"

"That's crazy!" Mario said.

"There will also be a solar eclipse when the alignment occurs." said Luigi. "And of all the places in the world see the best of it; Bowser's realm was listed as number one!"

"Just the place we need to be to rescue the princesses!" Mario said.

The two brothers continued through the darkening woods. The forest had become dark and it was very hard to see anything ahead of them. Their only source of light was the light from the waning gibbous moon, but even that was not enough to stop the brothers from tripping over twigs.

Mario started thinking over the planetary alignment and wondered if it signified anything significant in the quest. Deep down, there was something in him that seemed to make sense, but he could not seem to put his finger on it. He was too tired to think right now.

"Mario, look what I found!" Luigi shouted ahead of him. Mario looked up and saw Luigi carrying a couple of fire flowers.

"Where did you find those?" Mario asked.

"Over here by this tree trunk!" said Luigi. "Here, take one!"

* * *

**Just a little note about the planetary alignment:**

**This idea actually came to me as I was reading an online article about two similar alignments that happened in 1962 and 2000. I was also partly inspired by the first Tomb Raider movie, because there was a planetary alignment involved there as well, though it involved all nine planets. In reality, it is very unlikely that the planets (including Pluto) will ever line up in a straight line just as it did in the movie; such an event would only occur once every 180 TRILLION years, as opposed to the movie's fictional plot, claiming that it happens every 5,000 years.**


	2. Part 1, Chapter 2

**2**

Mario took one of the fire flowers from Luigi's hand and examined it.

"Hmm…" he said. "I wonder what the professor meant when he said that these would grant us special abilities."

"The only way we'll find out is if we rub one of these in the palm of our hand." Luigi said. "Should we try it?"

"I think we should wait for a later time." Mario said. "We might need these later."

"But, Mario," Luigi said, "There's a lot more fire flowers next to that tree trunk!"

"Luigi, let's not be wasteful." said Mario.

Luigi looked at him with a disintegrating glance.

"Alright, fine." Mario said. "At least we'll know exactly how to use these things!"

"Why else do you think I insisted that you try it out first?" Luigi asked.

Mario, with the flower in hand, examined one last time. Then, he reluctantly started to rub the flower in his hand. He waited a moment, waiting to find out what its special properties were, but nothing seemed to happen. He became impatient with his brother.

"Nothing's happening, Luigi!" Mario said. "I think you made me waste a flower."

"How am I supposed to know when it will go into effect?" Luigi protested.

"I don't kn…"

Suddenly, something weird began to happen. Out of nowhere, something nearby broke the intense darkness of the night. Luigi looked at his brother and shrieked.

"Mario! Your hand! Your hand is on fire!"

Mario looked down and saw that his hand had been enveloped in a ball of red flames. He screamed, but then realized that his hand was not in any danger. In fact, he didn't feel the slightest amount of pain!

"Luigi! There's no pain in my hand!" Mario said.

"Really?" Luigi asked in a stupefied tone. "How is that possible?"

"I have no idea!" Mario shouted. "This is so weird!" Then he noticed something else starting to change.

"My clothes!" Mario said. "They're changing colors!"

Luigi watched as Mario's coveralls started to change from light blue to bright red like his shirt. Then, he saw that his shirt was starting to turn white; his other hand was now enveloped in fire as well. Mario was speechless.

"What just happened?" he questioned.

"I don't know…" Luigi said.

"I want a really good explanation of this!" Mario said, as he started to grow impatient.

"I honestly don't know!" Luigi said.

"Here! Tell me if my hands burn your hands!" Mario said. He held out his right hand and turned it over, as if he were expecting something to be given to him. Luigi touched it and burned his finger.

"OWWW!" Luigi said. "That hurts!"

"It doesn't hurt me!" Mario said. He started to laugh at his younger brother. Luigi took his fire flower and rubbed it in his hand.

"Oh yeah!" Luigi said. "Watch this!"

A moment passed when Luigi's hand started to glow. His hand was then surrounded with an orb of greenish fire, which shone brightly against Mario's red flames.

"What are you doing?" Mario asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Luigi asked. "I'm using the other fire flower!" Mario watched as his brother's clothing changed colors; his dark blue coveralls were now green and his shirt also turned white as he gained his own fire power. Luigi touched Mario's ankle and made him jump in pain. Luigi laughed back.

"OWWWW! Son of a bitch!"

"I can feel the energy flowing through my body!" said Luigi. "I almost feel like a supernatural being!"

"Tell me about it." Mario said, rubbing his new wound. "We're even now."

"We can see where we're going now, too." said Luigi. "I feel safer."

"What other purpose do these flowers serve?" Mario asked. "And why do we have different colored flames?"

"I guess they reflect our personality?" Luigi guessed. "I don't know. The only reason I say that is because you're rather hot-headed, and hot-headedness is represented by the color red."

"And I guess green represents envy?" Mario asked sarcastically.

"Hey, that's not funny!" Luigi said.

"I was just joking!" Mario replied. "And you say I'm hot-headed…"

Luigi formed his hands into fists and was surprised to see the flames in his hands grow larger and more spherical.

"What's happening?" Mario asked.

"I don't know," Luigi replied, "the flames got larger for some reason. I think it happened when I became angry from that comment."

"Hmm…" Mario said. "Now that you mention it, I think I know how this fire can be used."

"How?" Luigi asked.

"Combat."

Luigi pondered the thought for a moment.

"Combat?"

"Yes, Luigi." Mario said. "I think that if we can stock up on these, we may have greater advantage of taking back the Mushroom Kingdom and saving the princesses!"

"Ah, I see!" Luigi said. "But how is that going to work? You can't just throw the fire at someone! Or can you?"

"Nothing's impossible until proven otherwise." Mario said. "Why don't you try it out?"

"I think I'll let you try it." Luigi said.

"Fine!"

Mario's frustration made his hands grow brighter and the red flames grew and formed spheres.

"Ready for this?" he asked.

"Go for it." Luigi replied.

Feeling as though he were throwing an invisible ball, Mario turned his body and swung his arm forward and watched as a ball of red fire shot across the dark forest and struck a small scattering of twigs. The brothers watched as the twigs exploded in a ball of fire and disintegrated into glowing embers on the wet dirt.

"Whoa!" Mario said. "That was wicked!"

"I want to try!" said Luigi.

"Wait, hold on!" Mario said, as he ran over towards a tree and picked up many twigs and branches.

"What are you doing?" Luigi asked.

"I'm gathering wood for a small fire!" Mario said. "We'll sleep here tonight."

"Okay." Luigi replied. "I just wish we had blankets and stuff like that."

"I think we'll survive." Mario said. "It's not like we're camping or anything like that, although I wish we were a little…"

Mario laid the twigs out into a big pile in an open area filled with dirt, pebbles and larger rocks. He then took the larger rocks and made a circle around the twigs. He looked up at his younger brother.

"Well, care to light it?" Mario said with anticipation.

"Do I!" said Luigi.

Luigi nervously stood back and raised his left arm to get the proper aim. Then, with his right arm, he turned around and threw the fire ball with all of his strength and set the twig pile ablaze in a green fiery explosion. Luigi smiled.

"This is so awesome!" he shouted.

"I know!" Mario replied. He looked at his hands and realized that they were getting dimmer.

"Umm… Luigi." he said. "I think the power is wearing off…"

Sure enough, Mario's hands stopped glowing and his clothing changed back to their normal colors. Soon after, Luigi started to see similar results as his power started to dwindle as well. After his clothing changed back to normal, the only light left was the light of the campfire.

"Well, that didn't last long!" Luigi said, obviously still mesmerized at what they had just discovered.

"That sucks." Mario said, looking over towards the tree trunk where Luigi had originally found the first two fire flowers.

"I think I'll go grab some more…" he said.


	3. Part 1, Chapter 3

**3**

After enjoying the fire they had created themselves, Mario and Luigi fell asleep on the hard ground as the fire embers became dimmer and the moon rose higher in the night sky. The faint light started to create scary-looking shadows around them and there was no other noise but the faint breeze. Mario started to have a dream as he rolled over his side…

* * *

"_Mario._" said a sweet-sounding voice. It was Princess Peach.

Mario heard the voice, but was unable to see anything around him. All he could see was complete and utter darkness.

"_Peach._" he called out. "_Where are you?_"

"_Mario._" she said again. "_Mario…_"

Peach's voice suddenly faded into thin air, and the darkness was then broken by a sinister-looking red light.

"_Peach?_"

Mario followed the red light and found himself in a strange and desolate landscape. The ground was made of black basalt and rivers of lava flowed everywhere around him. The sky, which gave out an evil reddish hue, echoed with the sounds of Peach's desperate cries. The sun looked very much like a cresent moon as the moon itself started to pass in front of it.

_What is this place?_ Mario thought to himself as he became suspicious and afraid. The dream was becoming a nightmare.

"_Mario!_" said Peach's voice again.

"_Peach! Where are you_?" Mario cried.

"_Mario…_" said her voice again, though it sounded different. _Deeper_.

"_Peach_?"

At this moment, Mario was starting to run across the desolate landscape, not knowing which way he was supposed to go. He was too frightened to think of anything else. Then, he heard a sinister and evil laughter echoing around him.

"_Mario._" said the now changed voice. Peach's sweet tone had disappeared and was replaced by a dark and masculine tone.

"_Who are you_?" Mario called out.

"_I'm Peach, of course_!" said the dark voice.

"_No, you're not_!" Mario said in a horrified voice.

The evil laughter returned as the landscape started to glow under the new night. The moon was now completely covering the sun and two glowing, evil red eyes suddenly opened and stared down at the scared Mario.

"_Time's ticking, Mario_." said the deep voice from above in a taunting tone. The giant face now sported an evil, white grin with horrible-looking teeth. It was Bowser.

"_Don't hurt Peach_!" Mario cried. "_Whatever you do, don't hurt her_!"

"_There's nothing you can do_!" Bowser said, as his face disappeared. Mario watched in horror as the ground below him suddenly disappeared into a deep, dark abyss. He was now falling to his death; all he could do now was scream and hope that he would somehow live.

* * *

As Mario continued tossing and turning in his sleep, so did Luigi; he was also starting to have what he thought would be normal dream…

* * *

Luigi found himself inside an old, haunted mansion; it was the same one that he had once explored as a younger teenager and came close to losing his very life in.

"_Here we go again_." Luigi thought to himself, knowing that he had dreams like this often. He turned around and walked towards the foyer of the old house and made his way to the dark stairway for the hundredth time. Luigi did not know exactly how many times this happened, for he had since stopped counting. At the top of the stairs, he saw an old mirror which he never saw before.

"_What's this doing here_?" Luigi asked himself. He looked in the mirror and saw Daisy in the mirror next to him.

"_Daisy_?" said Luigi. He looked next to him, but no one was there.

"_Luigi!_" she cried. "_Help me get out of this mirror_!"

"_How did you get in_?" said Luigi.

"_You're wasting time_!" Daisy said. "_I can't explain_!_ Just get me out of here_!"

Luigi ran towards the mirror and fell through, landing himself into a mysterious black room. Daisy was nowhere to be seen and the portal to the foyer had disappeared, leaving Luigi trapped inside the pitch-black area. He started to shake with fear, more than he had ever done in his entire life.

"_Luigi…_" Daisy's voice said. "_Luigi…_"

Luigi quickly turned around to see where her voice was coming from. He then saw a very dark tunnel that did not exist before. Suddenly, Luigi was swarmed by a group of Boo ghosts that tortured him with their sinister laughter. He screamed and started running down the dark tunnel.

"_Leave me alone_!" Luigi cried as he struggled to run away. He looked back and saw that he had not moved an inch since entering the tunnel. The ghosts were quick to get him.

_What the hell is wrong with this tunnel_? Luigi thought as he tried to go farther. Although it seemed like he was getting closer to the end, he was not. Suddenly, a different kind of laughter was echoing through the tunnel and Luigi was startled to see two glowing red eyes at the end of the tunnel that were slowly getting closer. Even the ghosts were scared and flew away for cover.

"_Time's ticking, Luigi._" said a dark voice from the end of the tunnel, following by evil laughter. Luigi stared at the evil eyes and saw a white, evil-looking smile appear underneath. He screamed and tried running back the same he came from, but was unable to. The evil face started coming at Luigi faster and felt his chest moving out of control.

"_There's nothing you can do_!" said the evil voice again as the face came right up to Luigi. He was now too scared to scream as he watched the mouth open up wide, as if to eat him alive. The last thing he saw was Bowser's face as he was indeed eaten alive and finally surrounded by utter blackness.

* * *

Both brothers immediately awoke and sat up at the same time, breathing heavily with panicked looks on their faces. The moon was still halfway across the nighttime sky, signaling to the brothers that they had only fallen asleep for a few hours. They looked at each other.

"I just had the worst nightmare." Mario said.

"So did I." Luigi said, still shivering with terror.

Both brothers explained their dreams to each other and found that they both had terrible encounters with Bowser, which both surprised them as well as not surprise them. Nonetheless, they were still scared out of their skin.

"That's weird." Mario said, yawning.

"Yeah," Luigi said, "now I can't sleep at all."

"I feel the same way." Mario replied.

Suddenly, the two brothers heard rustling sounds in the bushes a little ways away. They also heard voices coming from the distance; Mario guessed there were about three different people that seemed to be headed in their general direction. The brothers were beginning to get scared all over again.

"D…did you hear that?" Luigi stuttered.

"Yes." Mario said. "I don't like the sound of it either!"

"We need to get away from here!" Luigi said. "It's not safe here!"

"We should try finding that old pipe," Mario said, "that way we can reach the first Crystal Star! Come on, Luigi. I think I know where to go."

The two brothers got up, took the extra fire flowers they harvested and put them inside the rucksack. Luigi carried the book and they both started running as fast as they could to get away from coming voices. They somehow knew that Lord Crump was out there, watching them and waiting to find the perfect opportunity to hunt them down and leave them for dead. But the brothers were more than determined to not let that happen…they were certain that if they kept moving, they would stay alive and avoid detection.


	4. Part 1, Chapter 4

**4**

Lord Crump and two of his helpers (both were Goombas) were walking through the dark midnight woods that surrounded Rogueport. They started their journey about two hours after Ishnail and the two other Robbo gang members were injured by Mario and Luigi, who were now identified by Crump as the _Mario Brothers_. Bowser was now counting on him to take down the two brothers once and for all.

The night was already half over and Lord Crump did not see any visible signs of the two brothers. The outcome of this search was starting to look bleak.

"How much longer do you plan to make this search?" one of the Goombas asked. "We're exhausted!"

"It will take as long as it takes to find those bastards!" Lord Crump said. "After we find them, I'll be sure they will never see the light of day ever again!"

The three goons were now stumbling through thick branches and rough terrain. But up ahead, they saw a large open area that contained an empty fire pit. They decided to investigate.

"Looks like someone was here recently," Lord Crump said to himself, "very recently."

"Mister Crump!" said one of the Goombas. "Come check this out!"

Lord Crump walked over to his Goomba helper, who was standing next to a large log. He pointed down at the ground and was shocked to see that there were tons of bare flower stems, with no flowers left on them at all.

"Hmm…" Lord Crump said. "Who would need that many flowers?"

"I don't know, Lord Crump." said the other Goomba. "But come check this out!"

"What is it now?"

"Footprints."

Lord Crump looked onto the wet ground and found two sets of human footprints. He smiled. They were almost the same size and they seemed to be headed deeper into the forest.

"I think they were here." Lord Crump said.

"Really?" said the first Goomba.

"Yes." Crump responded. "I know this because they're headed right for the large dig site that we set up just a few days ago! No one else would be dumb enough to walk along this forbidden trail besides the Mario Brothers! And how else would they manage to build a fire on their own without the use of a few fire flowers?"

"Well, what are we waiting for?" said the second Goomba. "Let's go get them!"

Following the footprints, Lord Crump and the two Goombas began their run through the dark woods after Mario and Luigi. It would only be a matter of time before they would find them and fulfill Bowser's command to finish them at whatever cost.


	5. Part 1, Chapter 5

**5**

Meanwhile, back in Bowser's Kingdom, the sun was about to rise as the morning twilight replaced the unforgiving night. Bowser and Kamek were sitting in the empty meeting room sipping on their morning coffee, trying to wake themselves up after a night of interrupted sleep. Lord Crump's words were ringing inside their heads: _They're still alive!_ _They're still alive!_ _They're still alive!_

"THIS CAN'T BE TRUE!" Bowser suddenly burst out, throwing his coffee across the room. Upon hitting the opposite wall, the cup smashed to pieces.

"Bowser!" Kamek shouted. "That's the third cup of coffee that you've wasted this morning!"

"I still can't believe that those bastards escaped the Bob-Omb explosion!" Bowser shouted. "What the hell did I do wrong?!"

"I don't know sir." said Kamek. "All I know is that there's only two weeks until the solar eclipse! You haven't acquired one crystal star!"

"I already know that!" Bowser shouted. "I'm beginning to think that the Koopas are failing me! AGAIN!"

"I wonder where Lord Crump is right now." Kamek asked. "We haven't heard from him in hours."

"Who knows?" Bowser said negatively. "He probably lost the brothers a long time ago. God knows where they are now. For all we know they could be dead already, I would hope anyway…"

Suddenly a loud beeping sound echoed through the small room.

"Bowser! You have a radio transmission coming in!" Kamek said.

"Turn on the loud speakers!" Bowser responded.

Kamek pushed a nearby button that was situated underneath the table and the whole room became a giant microphone.

"Hello? Who is this?" Bowser asked.

"This is Lord Crump!"

Bowser heard the booming voice and frowned.

"So, what kind of news do you have to share with me this morning?" he asked.

"Bowser! I think I've picked up on a trail!" Lord Crump said.

"Really? What kind of trail?"

"We're only about twenty miles from Rogueport, but we just found a bunch of uprooted flower roots and two pairs of human footprints that headed straight for our dig site!"

"Is that so?" Bowser asked.

"Yeah. And by the looks of it, the _Mario Brothers_ were camping out here as well. There were two piles of black ash when we stumbled into this forest."

"_Mario Brothers_, eh?" Bowser said. "That's a rather catchy name for two criminals, don't you think?"

"Sorry, boss." Lord Crump said. "I was just getting sick of calling them _the two brothers_."

"Oh, no need for apologies!" Bowser said. "I've been looking for another label for those bastards since yesterday."

The room fell silent.

"Anyway, so you think you're getting close to them?"

"I'm sure of it, Bowser!" said Lord Crump. "Not a trace of doubt in my mind!"

"Good." Bowser said. "Say, you wouldn't happen to know what time it is over where you're at, would you?"

"It's still shortly after midnight." Lord Crump said. "Wish I could get some sleep."

"There's no time for that!" Bowser said. "You need to get the Mario Brothers before they steal that Crystal Star! Got it?"

"Yes, sir!" Lord Crump said.

"Good." Bowser said. "Oh, and before I forget, I will send one of my armies out there to help you out. By then, the brothers will have a very difficult time getting away!"

"Sounds like a plan!" Lord Crump said. "I'll catch you later."

"Wonderful! Bye, then."

The transmission ended and Bowser rose from his chair and went over to the coffee machine to grab his fourth cup of coffee. This time he was willing to drink the whole cup.

"I'll be back, Kamek." Bowser said. "I must warn my Koopa army about Lord Crump's arrival. I'll see that they will work together to stop those young goons from stealing my star!"

"Is there anything that I should do to help?" Kamek asked. "I mean, it wouldn't hurt for me to magically teleport over to the Mushroom Kingdom and assist the army."

"I appreciate the offer." Bowser said. "But I'm pretty sure that my army will be able to handle this just fine. Besides, who's going to watch over my eight little children?"

Bowser paused.

"Ever since Clawdia left me, I couldn't help but think that it was my fault that our relationship wasn't working. I've been so busy trying to take over the Mushroom Kingdom, it seems like she lost all interest I me."

"Now, now, Bowser." Kamek said. "Don't start this again. We all know that it wasn't your fault that she left you. She only wanted to be with you so that she could take all your riches. She was a bad influence."

"Still, I worry about little Bowser Junior." Bowser said. "He's only a baby. He may never know who is mother is when he grows up."

"Poor little guy." Kamek said. "At least he still has you to take care of him."

"Yeah, but even now it feels like I'm not there for my children either." Bowser said. "What am I to do about it?"

"Don't worry about it, Bowser!" Kamek said. "I'll watch the little ones while you alert the army!"

With that said, Kamek took off towards the children's bedrooms while Bowser made his way to the castle's radio tower. With his regretful thoughts long gone, Bowser let out an evil laugh as he started to smell a faint wisp of success after many years of miserable failure.

"I have you now, Mario Brothers!" he said to himself. "You will pay for your curiosity!"


	6. Part 1, Chapter 6

**6**

Mario and Luigi continued running through the forest for almost an hour when they finally decided to take a break. It was still very dark outside and the moon was finally starting to fall towards the western horizon as the early morning hours were kicking in. Mario felt his stomach growl uncontrollably as he struggled to think of anything else but food. He had never missed a meal in his life. Luigi tried thinking of a way to overcome his phasmophobia to get his mind off of food, but all he could think of was spaghetti! He was already missing the days he spent at the Club 64 with his brother when he would order the largest plate of spaghetti they have. He missed all of it, and so did his brother. When the brothers caught their breath, they continued their trek through the forest at walking pace. They did not dare to stop and fall asleep again.

"Hey, Luigi." Mario said. "I forgot to tell you what I dreamed about the night before. I'm glad I just remembered it."

"Let's hear it." Luigi said. "Does it have anything to do with food?"

"No!" Mario said. "Well, not really."

"What happened?"

"Well, I was walking in a strange part of the Mushroom Kingdom and I happen to come across this strange brown leaf that was on the ground. The first thing I did was pick it up and I realized that it smelled like cinnamon. Then, I took a bite from it and felt a tingling sensation in my ears and around my tail bone. I felt my ears and soon realized that they had grown hairy, like that of a raccoon. I also had the tail of a raccoon!"

"So, you're saying that you turned into a raccoon?" Luigi asked.

"No." Mario said. "But I was then caught in a freak wind storm that blew me over the edge of a cliff. I tried to make it back over to the ledge, but I realized I didn't have to because I flying through the air for some strange reason! Turns out that the raccoon features I now possessed were helping me stay alive."

"Is that all you remember from it?" Luigi asked.

"Yeah pretty much, but I also remember that we both had badass-looking moustaches on our faces and we were wearing hats with the letters of our first initials on them!" Mario said.

"Wait, I was in your dream too?" said Luigi.

"Yeah." said Mario. "You also took one of those strange leaves and turned somewhat into a flying raccoon."

Luigi shook his head and smiled.

"Sometimes I just can't figure you out big bro." he said. "You're an enigma. Have you been doing mushrooms?"

"Of course, not!" Mario said. "Who do you think I am? Waluigi?"

"No!" Luigi said. "You're nowhere close to having his horrible accent."

"Oh, yeah." Mario said. "He has lots of trouble with the letter 'I'."

"Here's an example."

Luigi cleared his throat as Mario stood and waited for Luigi to do an impersonation of his cousin. Then, Luigi blurted out a sentence in Waluigi's accent.

"_Walueegee's a weenner_!"

Mario busted up laughing as Luigi said the words. It was hard to tell whether he was talking to Waluigi or not! He fell to the ground and continued laughing the hardest he has ever laughed in his entire life. Mario helped himself off the ground and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"W…where did you learn to…to do that?!" Mario said, still struggling to keep a straight face.

"Years of practice." Luigi said. "I even do it in the shower."

Mario continued to laugh. Then, after a few moments, he was finally able to reduce it to chuckling.

"So, what was 'Waluigi' trying to say right there?" he asked.

"Translated, he was saying that he is a winner." Luigi said. "Of course, we all know that he isn't one, because he cheats at everything!"

"True." Mario said. "At least he has his own language!"

The brothers laughed as they walked through the dark forest, which did not seem dark at all to them because of their high spirits. Just then, they came across a sign with writing on it, but it too dark to see it from far away. They walked up to it and read it:

**WARNING!**

RESTRICTED ACCESS.

AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.

THOSE WHO ARE UNAUTHORIZED WILL BE KILLED INSTANTLY.

SO FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY, WE ADVISE YOU TO TURN BACK NOW!

"Who in their right mind would post a sign like that up in the middle of the woods?" Luigi asked.

"I bet this is where Bowser and Lord Crump are looking for the first Crystal Star!" Mario said. "This must be some sort of heavily guarded archeological dig."

"I'm scared, Mario!" Luigi said. "I don't like the looks of this place! Let's turn back!"

"Are you kidding me, Luigi?!" Mario said. "It says in the book that the Crystal Star is located somewhere here! We can't let Bowser get a hold of it!"

"But he has a whole army of Koopas in there!" Luigi said.

"Then, we have to sneak our way around them if we do see any." Mario said. "I can't guarantee whether or not Bowser's forces are in there, but we can at least hope that they aren't."

"I'm still very scared!" Luigi said.

"Come on, Luigi!" Mario said. "This is for your Princess Daisy! Remember, Bowser took her away from you and he took Peach away from me! We have to do this for the princesses!"

Luigi stood and thought about it for a few moments, remembering all of the fun times that he and Daisy have shared, right up to the last few hours before she was kidnapped. The choice was obvious.

"You're right." Luigi said. "Let's go kick some Koopa ass!"

"Now that's what I like to hear from my brother!" Mario said.

The two brothers ignored the sign and began following a dirt path which would eventually lead them up a tree-covered hill about half a mile away.

"Mario?" Luigi said. "Do you think we were destined to be heroes?"

"I don't know." Mario replied. "But I know one thing for certain. Bowser is destined to go to Hell!"

* * *

**Mario's dream is a precursor of things to come in the future, ****Super Mario Bros. 3 to be exact. Could it be that Mario has a special ability that he doesn't know about? Can he predict the future? I'll let you be the judge of that one.**


	7. Part 1, Chapter 7

**7**

The two brothers stepped over the dark hill and saw an awesome sight before them. Mario was right: there was a giant archeological dig. The two brothers were staring down from the top of the hill and saw the dig situated in a giant bowl-shaped depression that was outlined by tall mountainous structures. Mario guessed that it was over five miles in diameter. The floor of the giant basin was dotted by piles of dirt and large holes where the dirt had been dug out. There was no question in either of the brothers' minds that Bowser's men had been busy looking for the star. At the center of the basin was a much larger hole that seemed to go down very deep into the ground.

"That's where we need to go!" Mario said, pointing to the large hole in the distance.

"How can you be so sure about that, brother?" Luigi asked. "We don't know if that's where the pipe is located."

"It's a guess, Luigi." Mario said. "And no, I don't know for sure."

"I just hope that no one is awake." Luigi said.

Just then, an alarm was heard from the camp down below. Lights began flickering and Bowser's Koopa Troops started marching out from tents that lined the dig.

"You had to say something, didn't you?" Mario said, glaring back at his younger brother as if he were responsible.

"What? How was I supposed to know that would happen?" Luigi cried.

"Never mind." Mario said, rolling his eyes.

The two brothers continued starring down at the line of Koopas as they were given strict orders from a red shelled Koopa. The brothers were unable to make out what they were saying, but they had a hunch that Bowser had discovered their prolonged existence. It was not until the green-shelled Koopas started wandering from each other that Mario and Luigi became nervous.

"Quick! Hide!" Mario said. "They're coming this way!"

Luigi swiftly dove behind some nearby bushes while Mario hid behind one of the large trees that stood nearby. All was silent except for the footsteps of two Koopa Troops that started running up the hill to where the brothers were hiding.

"Whatever you do, don't make any noise!" Mario whispered to Luigi as the Koopas got much closer. Luigi covered his mouth to hide his heavy breathing. Mario did the same. The Koopas were now standing by the brothers as they kept themselves hidden.

* * *

"I can't believe those idiots are still alive!" said one Koopa.

"You would think that Bowser would kill them for sure with a Bob-Omb!" said the other Koopa who had a slightly deeper voice. "But as usual, Bowser doesn't seem to know how to keep a plan going the way it should."

"You know, I've been thinking to myself," said the first Koopa, "why the hell should I stay in Bowser's army if we always fail to get a victory?"

"You should be grateful that you're a Bowser supporter!" said the deep-voiced Koopa. "Where else are you going to experience such great hospitality and comfort?! Since when does a victory matter to you?"

"Ever since that failed invasion ten years ago." said the first Koopa. "Back then, I thought we had it for sure, but we never did. And now this?! But then again, Bowser did mention that this will be his most evil plan ever."

"I think you should at least stick around until the end of the evil operation." the deep-voiced Koopa said. "But it would certainly be a shame if you left the army! Bowser would hunt you down and kill you!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right." said the first Koopa. "I'll stay."

"LOOK OUT!"

WHAM!

* * *

Mario had emerged from his hiding place and knocked down the Koopa with a hard kick, forcing him to hide inside his shell.

"HEY!" said the deep-voiced Koopa. "IT'S YOU!"

SLAM!  
Luigi knocked him to the ground and punched him in the face, sending him inside his shell as well. Both Koopas were shaking.

"Please don't hurt us!" said the first Koopa. "We'll let you live! Just don't hurt us, please!"

Mario and Luigi looked down at them with frightful grimaces.

"I think you deserve to get hurt!" Mario said. "After what you guys did to my foster parents, I think I deserve a little payback! Same goes for my little brother!"

"No, please!" the other Koopa shouted.

"Ready, Luigi?" Mario said.

"You bet."

In one instant, the brothers kicked the Koopa shells down the hill and watched them slide into the dark woods, lost and forgotten. Mario and Luigi then made their way down to a giant chain-link fence that guarded and separated the dig from the residential cabins that housed the Koopas. There was no one there.

"Now what?" Luigi asked, staring at the giant gate. "How are we going to get inside?"

Mario examined the framework of metal. It was obviously sealed from the inside by a sophisticated locking mechanism that had been designed by Bowser himself. Mario was stumped.

"I don't know what to make of this." he said. "As far as I'm concerned, it will take a lot of fire power to get inside the dig site!"

"What about the fire flowers?" Luigi asked. "Will they be able to help us?"

"I don't think those will work." Mario said. "We need something very explosive."

"Is it possible to climb?" Luigi asked.

"No." Mario said. "See that sign?"

Luigi looked to where Mario was pointing and immediately understood: the fence was electrified.

"Damn!" Luigi said. "We're stuck."

"Wait a minute!" Mario said. "Do you see that tree?"

Mario points it out to Luigi over on the left side of the gate.

"Yeah." he said. "What about it?"

"It looks tall enough for us to jump over that fence." Mario said. "I hope you still know how to jump from poles! Remember from gym?"

"Oh, yeah!" Luigi said. "I get what you're saying! We're to climb up that tree and jump from the very top over to the other side, right?"

"Yes." Mario said.

"Doesn't that tree look a little tall though?" Luigi asked.

Mario realized that Luigi was right. The tree was probably at least fifty feet high, and anyone who was willing to jump from that height would easily find themselves with a broken ankle or two.

"What about that tree to the right of the gate?" Mario asked. "There's another tree on the other side that we can jump to!"

"That will work!" Luigi said.

"Here, I will go first." Mario said. "I want to make sure that it's not too dangerous."

"Well, of course it's dangerous!" Luigi said. "But it sure is much safer than our original idea! What are you going to do with the rucksack?"

"I can just throw it over the fence." Mario said. "It shouldn't hurt anything."

"Alright." Luigi said. "I trust you."

"Why wouldn't you?" Mario said. "I'm the only person you can trust right now!"

"That's true." Luigi said. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course! But if there's a girl with you then I get worried." Mario said sarcastically.

"Oh shut up about that already!" Luigi said. "You can't be that jealous!"

"Who said I was jealous?" said Mario, throwing the rucksack over the fence and wrapping his arms and legs around the tree as he began to climb. When he was high enough, Luigi started to follow him up to the top. This tree was slightly taller than the other one, but was less stable.

"Don't look down, Luigi!" Mario shouted from above.

"Don't worry." Luigi said. "I'll be fine."

Mario was now at the top part of the tree and struggled to keep his balance. Luigi was right below him.

"You're starting to make me nervous!" Luigi said.

"Sorry!" Mario said. "It's not my fault. I just wish the top of this tree would stay put!"

"Are you getting ready to jump yet?" Luigi asked.

It was right then that Mario made a giant leap over the fence and grabbed the middle branches of the second tree. He looked up at Luigi who was amazed at Mario's athleticism.

"Careful when you grab these branches!" Mario shouted. "They will cut you."

Luigi was now at the wobbling top of the first tree and became nervous. Suddenly, he did the very thing that Mario told him not to do: he looked straight down to the ground.

"I can't do this!" Luigi shouted. "I'm going to die!"

"No you aren't, Luigi!" Mario shouted from the other side! "You can do this! Just jump!"

"But, Mario…"

"JUMP!"

Luigi closed his eyes and forced his body to jump. As he flew over the tall fence, he opened his eyes and saw that he was headed straight for the top of the tree instead of the stable middle branches. He grabbed the top, but was unable to keep balanced and started falling through the branches.

"Luigi!" Mario shouted from the lower tree branches.

"HELP!" Luigi cried.

Mario reached out to save Luigi as he got near, but he too lost his balance and both of them fell to the ground. Luigi landed on top of Mario, but luckily there were no major injuries.

"Mario!" Luigi said. "Are you alright?"

"I will be, once you get off of me!" Mario replied. "You are quite the jumper, Luigi! If this were a competition to jump to the top of a flag pole, you would be the winner."

Luigi was now quite pleased with himself. He usually beat his brother at hurtle jumping and running laps whenever they went to Toad Town's large gym. _But he had actually beaten Mario at pole jumping_!

The two brothers got back on their feet and brushed the dirt off their coveralls. Mario grabbed the rucksack and he and Luigi continued further into the archeological dig…


	8. Part 1, Chapter 8

**8**

The archeological dig was very quiet…too quiet. The brothers were starting to become aware of this and became suspicious. All around them, they could see only the surrounding trees and the recently excavated holes that the Koopas had made. It was very desolate…yet at the same time it was not.

"I do not like this place at all." Luigi said. "It gives me the creeps!"

"Just be lucky we're no where haunted!" Mario said.

Luigi shivered at this thought and could only hope that nothing like that would happen in their quest. The only thing that would scare him even more is Bowser; his red eyes and horrible grin have kept him awake ever since it invaded his dreams and he feared seeing it again. But he and Mario both knew that they had to face him sooner or later. It was for the sake of the two princesses and the Mushroom Kingdom.

* * *

Lord Crump was now entering the archeological dig. It was when he reached the gate when he heard two moaning voices coming from nearby. He looked and saw two wounded Koopas.

"Lord Crump." one of them said. "I thought you'd never come!"

"What happened to you guys?" he asked.

"It was the Mario Brothers!" said the other Koopa. "They attacked us from out of nowhere and then kicked us into this tree!"

"Where did they go?" Crump asked.

"They probably wandered into the dig site." said the first Koopa. "I'm pretty sure of it."

"Don't you guys need any help?" Lord Crump asked.

"No! GO!" said the second Koopa shouted. "Don't let them get away!"

_Good advice!_ Lord Crump thought as he ran down the hill towards the front gate. He looked through the chain linking and saw Mario and Luigi walking towards the large gaping hole at the center of the site. He smiled.

"I have you bastards now!" he said. "Soon, you will pay for your misdeeds and vandalizing actions! You will suffer a slow and painful death!"

The two Goombas that assisted Lord Crump in their hunt finally caught up.

"Where were you guys?!" he asked them.

"We aren't that fast you know!" one of them said panting. "You could've gone slower!"

"Yes, but look!" Crump said, pointing through the gate at the two brothers in the distance. The Goombas were surprised.

"It's them!" said the other Goomba. "What are you going to do?"

"Call in for extra support!" he said, taking out his small communicator.

* * *

Mario and Luigi suddenly heard rustling in the bushes as they followed a dirt trail down to the large ravine. They heard the noise again a few seconds later.

"What was that?" Luigi asked.

The brothers stopped and looked around.

"I don't know." Mario whispered.

They heard it again, but this time it came from behind them. The brothers turned around, but once again saw nothing. Mario was getting frustrated.

"Okay, this isn't funny!" he yelled. "Come out, come out wherever you are!"

The rustling was now coming from all around them and the brothers became terrified. They screamed when they saw five green-shelled Koopas surrounding them with metal pipes in their hands.

_SHIT!_ Luigi thought. _They caught us!_

"There you guys are!" said one of them.

"RUN!" Mario shouted.

"Don't let them get away!" said another Koopa.

The two brothers ran past the Koopas and down the trail towards the ravine as fast as they were able to. But the Koopas were starting to gain on them.

"KEEP RUNNING, LUIGI!" Mario shouted.

The Koopas were laughing behind them.

"You can run but you can't hide!" one of them shouted. "Getting tired yet?!"

Mario and Luigi were starting to get tired as they neared two small portable buildings and what appeared to be tarp lying across an empty flat of dirt. They ran over it and suddenly fell and tripped as the tarp gave way to a small concealed hole beneath them. It was a trap. The brothers got back on their feet and quickly climbed back out of the hole, but the Koopas had already reached the brothers and knocked them back down. Mario landed on top of Luigi with all his weight, but Luigi just pushed him aside.

"Finally! We have you two captured!" said a sixth Koopa, who sported a red shell on his back. He looked down at the two brothers with an evil grin. "We've been waiting for you!"

The two brothers glared at the Koopa.

"Why do you want us dead?!" Mario asked.

"Bowser's orders!" said the red-shelled Koopa. "He doesn't need anyone trying to stop him from taking over the world! That includes you two!"

All six Koopas nodded their heads in agreement. Mario and Luigi continued to glare at them.

"What's the matter?" the red-shelled Koopa asked sarcastically.

"Let us out!" Luigi shouted.

"I'm afraid I can't do that!" said the red-shelled Koopa. "That would ruin the whole purpose of trapping you in the hole!"

Mario took out a couple of fire flowers from the rucksack and handed one to Luigi.

"What are you doing with those?!" the Koopa asked.

"Let us out and we'll show you!" Mario said.

"I don't have time for this nonsense!" said the red Koopa. "Besides, I'm not dumb enough to let you two escape again!"

WHOOSH!

"AHH! MY FACE! IT'S BURNING!" the red Koopa shouted as flopped around on the ground. Mario and Luigi jumped out of the hole with fire in their hands and brightly colored clothing again.

"What the hell just happened?!" one of the green Koopas shouted with a terrified tone. Mario and Luigi turned toward him with a mean stare.

"GET THEM!" said the red Koopa. "DON'T STAND THERE LIKE AN IDIOT! KILL THEM BEFORE THEY GET AWAY!"

The five green Koopas charged at Mario and Luigi with their metal pipes. Luigi jumped out of the way by performing a sideways somersault. Mario threw a fireball at one of the green Koopas and hit him in the chest.

"Mario! Look out!" Luigi shouted as a Koopa came from behind him. Mario turned around as the Koopa swung his metal pipe. Luigi threw a fireball at him before he was able to knock Mario unconscious.

"Get them!" one of the surviving green Koopas shouted. Two of them grabbed Luigi by the arms, but all Luigi had to do was touch them with his hands to get away. He held them for a few seconds before he threw the two Koopas to the ground as they screamed at the intense pain.

"A little help over here!" Mario called out as the three remaining Koopas went after him. However, he was quick to throw three fireballs at each of them before the Koopas could attack. The Koopas quickly fell to the ground.

"Never mind!" Mario shouted.

"What?! IMPOSSIBLE!" the red-shelled Koopa shouted. He tried to get up, but the last thing he could see was red and green fire as it slammed into his already burnt face.

Mario and Luigi ran away from the battle scene and quickly made their way down to the giant ravine as the Koopas continued squealing in pain in the dirt.

* * *

Lord Crump shuffled his way down through the dig site and found the army of Koopas on the ground and burnt to crisps. He was outraged.

"FOOLS!" he shouted at the red-shelled Koopas. "The Mario Brothers have outsmarted you! And now they escape…"

"You could've arrived sooner!" the Koopa shouted back.

"Wait up!" shouted the two Goombas as they arrived at the scene. They could not believe their own eyes.

"What the hell happened?!" one of them asked.

"Well, apparently the Mario Brothers managed to defeat the small Koopa army we sent out." Lord Crump said, turning over to the red-shelled Koopa. "Isn't that, right?"

"They were throwing fire at us!" he shouted. "All we had were metal pipes."

Lord Crump became frustrated.

"Bowser's going to be so pissed off when he hears about this!" he said. "You should all be ashamed of yourselves!"

"I hate to say it," said the red-shelled Koopa, "but I think you're on your own now."

Lord Crump did not say a word. He simply walked away and never had the urge to look back. He was too mad to do anything else. He simply wanted the brothers dead before they could get to the Crystal Star. So he went alone, knowing that it was probably the only way that it could be done.


	9. Part 1, Chapter 9

**9**

Mario and Luigi were standing at the very edge of the central ravine, looking down to the very bottom. The sky was now beginning to turn navy blue as dawn approached and the night started to disintegrate. The brothers yawned as they searched for a safe way to get to the bottom, where a large old pipe was seen jutting out from the dirt. More than likely, it was the pipe leading to an old underground mine, and if it were true then the first Crystal Star would also be there…somewhere.

"This way, Luigi!" Mario called out as he pointed out a narrow stony path leading down. Luigi followed.

The path was anything but perfect. Huge boulders and sharp stones were strewn randomly and the width of the path was only as wide as Mario's foot. It was obviously not suited for any human to walk on. Mario and Luigi had to use the nearby rock wall for support to keep them from falling to the bottom, which they estimated to be a good hundred feet deep.

"I wonder how long Bowser and his men have been working on this hole?" Mario asked as carefully took another step down the dangerous path.

"Beats me!" Luigi said. "He's probably been working on it for years!"

"It would probably make a great building foundation!" Mario said. "At least that's what I think. Luigi look out!"

Luigi took a step and almost slipped off the edge as the ground beneath him crumbled and fell to the ground far below them. Luckily, Mario was able to catch Luigi before he fell to his death.

"Thank you so much!" Luigi said, his heart pounding uncontrollably. "That was too close!"

"You're lucky to have me around." Mario said. "Otherwise you would've been toast."

"Save it for the cameras." Luigi said sarcastically as Mario glared at him. "Just kidding!"

Suddenly the brothers screamed as they both suddenly fell down into the chasm as the path crumbled. Their fall was broken by jutting rocks, which hurt the two brothers upon each impact. They thought that their journey was over as they continued crashing to the ground. When they reached the bottom, they relieved to still be alive, but they were severely injured with bruises and bloody wounds.

"OWWW!" Luigi cried. "I'm bleeding!"

Mario was unable to get up. His knees and elbows were scraped and his face had been scratched and bruised.

"I think I broke something!" Mario said as he struggled to get back up. He reached inside the rucksack and took out a couple of mushrooms, both red and green, and tossed them over to Luigi, who was struggling to walk. He caught them just in time.

"Those should help." Mario said, as he grabbed a couple of mushrooms for himself. "Let's take the red ones first."

"Why the red ones?" Luigi moaned.

"They'll wake us up!" Mario said.

Both brothers swallowed the red mushrooms at the same time and immediately started to feel its effects. The brothers were suddenly more alert than they used to be and their arms began to tighten and grow wider. The brothers looked at each other with puzzling looks as they realized what happened to their bodies. The professor was right: red mushrooms do make one stronger!

"Luigi! What happened to your arms?!" Mario said. "You have muscles!"

"So do you!" Luigi said, secretly admiring his slightly modified body. Mario glanced at his arms and smiled.

"I could probably get used to this." Mario said.

"I know _I_ can!" Luigi said. "Let's see how those green mushrooms work!"

The brothers took their last mushrooms and immediately got a funny taste in their mouth which lasted only a few seconds. Then, they watched in disbelief as their wounds started to shrink and disappear as if they never got them in the first place. It was a miracle.

"Wow! They actually work!" Mario said. "This could possibly have great implications for the field medicine!"

"No wonder Professor Frankly kept these confidential!" Luigi said. "They would also be helpful in the military as well!"

After a pause of silence, Mario and Luigi got back on their feet and glanced over at the pipe they had spotted just a few minutes ago. The rust definitely gave away its age: it was definitely _old_. For it to be buried this far below the ground, the pipe could very well be almost a thousand years old for all the two brothers knew (after all, they are plumbers, not archeologists!). It was hard to imagine that it would lead anywhere other than an old mine, except perhaps an old sewer. But after everything that they have seen and done so far, it seemed to Mario and Luigi that anything could be possible.

"Finally, we're getting somewhere!" Mario said. "Bowser is going to freak when he finds out!"

"But how do we know this is the real pipe?" Luigi asked.

"What do you mean if it isn't the real pipe?!" Mario said. "Of course this is the real pipe!"

"How do you know that?" Luigi asked.

"Luigi! Look at it." Mario said. "This pipe was obviously made from a metal alloy that was discontinued hundreds of years ago! I can't remember what it was called, but I do know that they stopped using it after it poisoned and killed thousands of workers after the metal somehow got into their systems. Don't you remember hearing about that in history?"

"I may be smart," Luigi said, "but I don't remember everything from school! Same goes for you too."

"I was just asking!" Mario said. _Yes! I know something Luigi doesn't!_

Mario glanced over at Luigi.

"What?" Luigi asked. "What are you looking at?"

"Who's going down first?" Mario asked. "You or me?"

"_Neither of you_!"

Mario and Luigi turned around and saw a looming figure standing at the edge of the giant ravine above them. Even though he was bigger, the figure was able to jump down from rock to rock like a ninja to the reach the bottom of the chasm. The brothers were frozen in their spots, fearing that they were finally going to get it.

"You two are probably wondering who I am." said the large purple-skinned figure. "I am Lord Crump, leader of the X-Nauts."

Mario and Luigi looked at each other with frightened looks.

"I already know who you guys are." he said. "You were the ones that escaped Bowser and are trying to steal the Seven Crystal Stars from him!"

"That's right." Mario said. "But why is that so important to you though? What's this _old friend_ you are trying to get a hold of?"

"Fool! I'm trying to visit anyone! That was just a show for the public!" Lord Crump said. "The question is: why are the stars so important to _you_? After all, they won't help you get to your princesses sooner! You have no business with that!"

"Yeah, we do!" Luigi said. "It's called saving the world from Bowser's evil. Didn't you read the Book of Prophecies?"

"As a matter of fact, I have!" Lord Crump said. "That is why I'm here to kill you!"

Lord Crump made swift punch and knocked Luigi down to the ground.

"Luigi!" Mario shouted. "Watch out!"

Lord Crump went for another attack, but Luigi was able to roll away just in time. Lord Crump landed on the ground with a hard thud.

"GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE DICK!" he shouted.

Mario ran at him and performed a jump kick to his face, knocking him to the ground. Lord Crump threw another punch and knocked Mario down as he stood back up. But as soon as that happened, Luigi came up from behind and kicked him where it counted.

"OWWW!" Lord Crump cried as he fell to the ground in agonizing pain. "YOU ARE GOING TO REGRET THAT!"

"Come on, Mario!" Luigi said, helping him up. "Let's hurry!"

"I'll go down the pipe first then." Mario said. "I can't guarantee where it's going to lead!"

"Don't worry, I'll be fine!" Luigi said.

Lord Crump had just gotten back on feet, his legs still shaky from the blow he took to his private area, when he saw that the brothers had disappeared. He went over the pipe.

"Three can play at this game!" he said. "You can run, but you can't hide!"

* * *

**Mario and Luigi have finally witnessed the beneficial properties of the red and green mushrooms! They also meet Lord Crump for the first time, and he is very unhappy to see them alive. Luckily, the brothers once again manage to escape. But where will the old pipe take them? Will they encounter yet another undiscovered hazard? Will they find the first star? **

**Stay tuned! :)**

**saturn95**


	10. Part 1, Chapter 10

**10**

SPLASH!

Mario and Luigi found themselves immersed in a pool of ice-cold water after their brief freefall through the old pipe. They immediately surfaced and swam over to a nearby rocky shore where they were dripping wet and shivering. It was also much darker than it was outside, however they have since gotten used to the dim lighting so it really did not matter. They looked around and saw that they were in a small cavern. Inside, they discovered old rusted mining equipment that had been used hundreds of years ago, as well as an old mining cart railway that branched out into three different tunnels.

"We n-need some l-light." Luigi shivered.

"I know, Luigi." Mario said. "But we can't waste anymore of our fire flowers. We only have ten left."

The brothers starred at the three branching caves and became worried. The Crystal Star was bound to be buried somewhere…but where _exactly_? Mario pulled out the book, but was dismayed.

"Damn! Can't see a thing in this dim lighting!" he said.

"Are you sure you don't want to use another fire flower?" Luigi asked. "It can help us read you know."

"Well, I suppose." Mario said reluctantly as he rubbed the flower in the palm of his hand. When the flower's effects started to kick in, Mario examined the book from where they had left off.

"According to this," Mario began, "_the three paths that will be present all lead to your goal, but one of them will get you there in the least amount of time. The other two paths are said to be more hazardous and depending on which one is chosen, you will encounter something different. Of course, this is merely based off historical documentation, so this information may or may not be useless to whoever may lay their eyes on this text._"

Luigi glanced at Mario.

"Should we split up?" he asked.

"What gave you that idea?" Mario asked. "There really is no point in doing that!"

"Aren't you forgetting that Lord Crump is still after us?" Luigi asked. "He's probably on his way down the pipe right now! It would probably better our chances of obtaining the Crystal Star before Lord Crump!"

"I guess you're right." Mario said.

"Don't worry about me, Mario." Luigi said. "I can look after myself. I won't let any Scuttle Bugs eat me alive!"

"Believe me, Luigi. I have confidence in you." Mario said. "I'm your brother. Brothers look out for each other."

Luigi nodded.

"I know."

Just then, something was heard from the cavern ceiling. The brothers glanced up at the pipe and saw Lord Crump's feet poking out from above. Mario and Luigi began to panic.

"Which paths should we take?!" Luigi said. "Hurry!"

"Quick, you take the cave on the left!" Mario said. "I'll take the one on the right!"

"Sounds like a plan!" Luigi said. "I'll meet you at the Crystal Star!"

The two brothers immediately split up and began traversing the empty caverns. What they did not realize was that they were both in serious danger, both coming from behind and in front of them. They were, in a sense, trapped…

* * *

**Hey, everyone! I do apologize for the long wait, writer's block really does suck sometimes (more like ALL the time!). I know this chapter is a little short, but I promise there will be a lot more danger and suspense to come. It's a guarantee! :) **

**Please feel free to send a review; I'm open to any comments and/or suggestions:)**

**saturn95 **


	11. Part 1, Chapter 11

**11**

Mario was now wandering alone down the right cave, his heart pounding tremendously as he fearfully pressed onward. He wondered if his brother was still okay and wondered if Lord Crump was still after them. He also wondered if he had taken the shortest and safest cave route and hoped that Luigi was not getting killed or eaten alive. He did not want to admit it in front of him, but Mario still had his doubts about his brother, even after the time he had survived a night at a deadly haunted house a few years ago. But then again, he never really trusted in himself, because he thought that he would mess something up. In reality, Mario lacked self-confidence, and it was because he and his brother have been repeatedly forced to grow up too fast due to their indescribable trauma.

It was only after a short distance when Mario realized the walls of the cave were no longer natural. They were made of ancient stone bricks. He became puzzled.

"This is very odd." Mario said to himself. "Who in their right mind would go out of their way to build structures like this underground?"

He started to think about the legend from the book. It was true that the Shadow Queen had once wanted to shape the world to her desires he knew, but was this the result of such a feat? Mario figured that only Professor Frankly would know for sure. As he continued down the old railroad, he looked up and saw a wide gap in the path that was blacker than the blackest black he has ever seen. Mario was frustrated.

"I don't think this is going to work!" he said out loud. "I need to turn back."

As he turned around, he suddenly remembered Lord Crump. He looked back at the huge gap and knew that it was the only 'safe' way to go. He had to jump it, even if it pushed him beyond his limits. He looked again and became nervous and scared.

_You have to do this_. Mario thought. _Think about Princess Peach and Princess Daisy. You and Luigi are their only hope_.

Mario glanced across the gap and made up his mind when he suddenly heard footsteps coming his way. Mario started to panic.

"I know one of you guys is running around here somewhere!" Lord Crump's voice echoed. "Don't think you can fool me!"

Mario no longer had a choice. Standing at the edge of the gap, he backed up a few steps to get a good running start. Then, he sprinted and propelled himself across the deep abyss and grabbed the opposite ledge by chance. But Mario made the awful mistake of looking down and started to struggle in climbing back up. He thought that he was going to die. However, with the remaining strength that he had, Mario was able to pull himself up and make it to the other side. He looked back and saw Lord Crump's figure in the darkness as he approached. Mario quickly ran down the path and escaped being seen by the evil X-Naut leader.

"I'll get you, Mario!" Lord Crump's voice shouted behind him across the bottomless pit. "You will get what you deserve!"

* * *

As he continued downward, Mario noticed the path getting steeper and less rocky. It was right then that Mario lost his footing and began sliding downward into another chasm. As he slid, he hit a rough spot, causing him to tumble over his side until the ground suddenly flattened out. Mario got up and was surprised at what he saw next.

"Mamma mia!" Mario as he glanced ahead. The narrow 'cave' opened up into a larger cavern that was filled with water deep enough to only tread through. On the other side was another small dark passageway that did not look very inviting. The only way to get across was to tread the water, but it did not matter since he was already dripping wet. Mario stepped into the water and began traversing it with caution.

"It sure is dark and cold in here." he said to himself as he made it halfway through the water, which started reaching his upper arms and shoulders. Suddenly, Mario's foot became caught in something and a loud clicking sound echoed throughout the chamber. He looked around and suddenly saw huge needle-like darts shooting at him from both side walls. Mario quickly dove underneath the deeper water and swam to the other side where it was safe and immediately climbed out. He knew right away that he had activated a trap.

"That was too close!" he said to himself and breathing a huge sigh of relief. He continued through the new passage and sensed that something else was not the way it should be. He felt the ground beneath him shake and the floor started to crumble! Mario ran down the passage to escape to another cave passage with a low ceiling. Suddenly, a heavy door closed behind him and a large earthquake started to occur.

"I NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!" Mario said, looking to the left where the cavern curved upwards. He started running up the passage when two large boulders came crashing down toward him! Mario screamed.

_I'M GOING TO DIE! _he thought to himself. _THERE'S NO WAY OUT!_

Mario was so scared that he wanted to cry, but he was unable to. He thought that this was the end of his hopeless journey to save the beloved princesses and thought Bowser was finally going to get his wish in taking over the Mushroom Kingdom and the rest of the world. He was ready to give up.

_How is my brother going to live on without me? _Mario thought. _He can't live without his brother!_

Then, he saw a dim light of hope in the lower end of the cave. It was another cave passage! Wasting no time, Mario quickly ran down the huge rocky ramp to avoid the large boulders and jumped over a large pit filled with deadly spikes into the small steep cave. He slid and fell into a long artificial hallway made of bricks, but then screamed at the sight of two large spike walls working their way towards him from either end!

"MAMMA MIA!" Mario screamed as he frantically searched for another way out of the seemingly relentless 'trap curse'. He tripped over an old skeleton and saw a small hallway branching from the very middle of the hallway. But there was one problem: it was too high!

_OH SHIT! NOT AGAIN!_ Mario thought. _THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!_

But he did not give up easily this time. Hanging from the ceiling were the dead roots of a dead piranha plant, and Mario knew that they could be used for rope-swinging. He decided to put his gymnastics to the test, but he had to hurry. The spike walls were only twenty feet apart from each other and were now closing in on each other!

Mario quickly performed a spectacular wall jump (something that he had never before managed to accomplish!) and grabbed the unstable plant roots. He then pushed himself forward and back to gain momentum as he aimed for the small hallway. Watching the spike walls, Mario held his breath as he made a huge jump across the 'death hall' and landed safely inside the small alcove right before he was stabbed to death. The spikes inside the other room finally crashed into each other and Mario felt safe again...for now. He continued down the hall and was surprised by three large retractable knife blades that sliced in and out of the wall!

"They just didn't want to make this easy!" Mario complained. Luckily, they were low enough to where he was able to jump over them, like hurtles back at his gymnasium. Even so, Mario wasted no time in getting through the trapped hallway. He jumped over the large blades, one after another, in just five seconds without getting cut or sliced to death. But Mario was unable to stop, for the next hallway had even more spike walls coming at him from either side! There was another passageway at the end and he had to reach it before the walls closed in on him.

Mario dashed across the hall and screamed as part of the floor crumbled, revealing a pit of spikes! Mario quickly did a running jump across the pit and started sprinting towards the exit as the spike walls started to get dangerously close to him. As soon as he was clear of the spikes, he screamed as another wall of spikes came zipping towards him at incredible speed! However, Mario missed it and had the worse luck of falling through a small hole into another room, where a slower-moving spike wall had him cornered! He was now trapped.

"DAMN IT!" Mario cried. "I'M DONE FOR! NO MORE MUSHROOM KINGDOM! NO MORE OPTIONS!"

As Mario sat and waited for his death, he started thinking of all the incredible challenges that him and his brother have gone through. He thought of all the good times they shared together and all of the things they have done for each other to keep themselves safe. He also thought of the princesses and wondered if they were even still alive, or if Bowser killed them. Either way, Mario knew that he had no chance to save them now. It was the end.

As the spikes drew closer to him, he closed his eyes and waiting for the lethal spikes to penetrate his fragile flesh and started to cry. But suddenly, something amazing happened.

"What the hell is happening?!" Mario said as another earthquake rocked the underground caverns. Suddenly, Mario fell through the floor and landed on a pile of rubble inside another small cave. The earthquake stopped and Mario got back onto his feet as the spikes above him finally crashed into the above wall. His heart started to calm down as the roaring cave silence once again returned. Mario smiled and laughed, knowing that he was safe once more.

_I wonder what the people back at the gym would think of this if they saw it!_ Mario thought as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. He decided that it would be best to rest for a few minutes before he continued, so he leaned against the wall to catch his breath. After he regained his energy, Mario continued down the dark tunnel and resumed the search for the Crystal Star with the mindset that nothing will stop him or his brother from reaching their goal.

But where _is_ Luigi?

* * *

**Whew! Mario makes it out alive after almost being stabbed to death a few times by spikes, sliced by large knives, crushed by large boulders, and even killed by large needle-like darts! Looks like the gymnastics really paid off! But this is only the beginning of the many dangers the brothers will have to face throughout their journey...**

**For those of you who may be very familiar with the old Tomb Raider games, you might or might not already know where the trap ideas in this chapter came from. If not, I'll explain it to you right now.**** This chapter was actually based off the first level of Tomb Raider 2, when Lara Croft was in search of the Dagger of Xian underneath the Great Wall of China. She encountered all the traps mentioned above before reaching the entrance to the Temple of Xian. But after realizing that the door was missing its 'handle' (called the Talion), her search led her to the hideout of a cult leader named Marco Bartolli in Venice, Italy...I would tell the whole story, but I don't want to spoil it :)**

**So, is Mario really getting closer to the Crystal Star? Or is he going the wrong direction? Is Luigi going to be reunited with his brother? Is Lord Crump still a major threat? These and other questions will be answered in future chapters. I'll be hard at work with the next chapter this weekend, so keep your eyes open :)**

**saturn95**


	12. Part 1, Chapter 12

**12**

Luigi continued through the left cave as Mario told him to do. He thought he heard Lord Crump's voice earlier, but it was now a thing of the past. All that mattered to him now was finding the Crystal Star, but at the same time, he could not stop thinking about the night he had shared with Princess Daisy. He wished for her to be with him again, in a safe place where they could take care of and look after each other. Luigi also wished that his brother could trust him more often and not worry about every little thing he does. He was able to make decisions on his own, but was always too shy to make them. But now, it seemed that Luigi was beginning to take a stand for himself for the first time in his life. He was proud himself.

As Luigi wandered the cave, he was suddenly attacked by a storm of blue Swoopers. He immediately ducked as they swooped down and ran down the cave to get away as they passed. All seemed well until Luigi started to smell something weird inside the cave. It became stronger the farther he ventured.

"What is that stench?" Luigi asked himself. "Did something die in here?"

Then, Luigi saw that his path was blocked by large decaying wooden planks that sealed off a larger cavern. There was also a rusted sign on it, but Luigi was unable to make out any of the words:

D…G…

…Z… …P …H…D

…T…R …T …U… …N …I…

"What is this even supposed to say?!" Luigi said. "They wouldn't seal this place without a reason."

Luigi looked down at the ground and saw that the railroad tracks had disappeared. He became suspicious, but at the same time he figured that it did not matter to him. Once again, he only cared about the Star. Slowly, Luigi began tearing down the wooden boards that blocked his way, discovering that they were surprisingly heavy. After the first board, he struggled with the rest of them and almost dropped one of them on his feet; it was obvious that Luigi had never been the one for lifting weights and lifting things.

"Damn! I wish Mario never took all the mushrooms with him!" he said to himself regretfully. "I need to start weightlifting!"

Despite all of his struggles, Luigi finally lifted the final board off of its supporting position and ventured into the smaller square-shaped cavern, where the smell was becoming more prominent. At first, the cave seemed to be a dead end, but luckily there was a hole in the ground that lead deeper down. Luigi had no other way to go but down into the dark abyss and face the dangers that lay below him.

"Well, here goes nothing." he said as he lowered himself down. Luigi dropped into another narrow cave passage that lead to a point where it split into two passages. He decided to go right.

"That smell is giving me a headache!" Luigi complained as he struggled to keep his pace. Another flock of Swoopers flew at Luigi as he rounded another corner, taking a left in the process. But he was able to avoid the attack and run down the passage. He thought more about the smell the farther he went, and at the same time the air inside the cave was starting to become very yellow and hazy. Luigi knew that something was not right.

"What is this air that I'm breathing?!" Luigi coughed as his chest started to burn. Every time that he tried to breath, it was becoming harder and harder and his vision started to distort and confuse him. He was breathing poisonous gas! He remembered the sign he had seen earlier and was now regretting not being able to figure it out, for he knew exactly what it was saying now:

DANGER

HAZE UP AHEAD

ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK

Luigi struggled to find his way out as ran through a complicated maze of underground passages that seemed to lead him nowhere but in a circle. The haze was now as thick as fog and Luigi was starting to feel weird. He felt like a drunk person who had no coordination and kept running into cave walls, thinking that he was about to make a turn when the turn was still a few feet away. Nonetheless, Luigi continued running in hopes of finding a way out before his fate could be sealed. Suddenly, Luigi heard a voice coming from somewhere else inside the cave.

"Luigi! Where are you?!" said the voice. "Luigi!"

_Mario!_ Luigi thought. _He's somewhere close to where I'm at! I'm saved._ Wasting no more time, Luigi followed the echoes of his brother's voice through the deadly yellow haze. His vision was severely distorted and unreliable, almost like he had overdosed on some weird hallucinogenic substance. But Luigi was still as sober as could be, but he had to rely on his hearing and sense of touch to guide him through the haze.

"MARIO!" Luigi shouted. "I'm over here!

"Don't move, Luigi!" he shouted back. "I'm coming to get you!"

"HURRY!" Luigi shouted. "THIS HAZE IS STARTING TO MAKE ME LIGHTHEADED!"

"NEVERMIND!" Mario shouted. "GET OUT OF THERE! FOLLOW THE SOUND OF MY VOICE!"

Luigi started following Mario's voice as he hummed a familiar tune. He suddenly, fell to his knees when he tripped over a rock that he was unable to see clearly. Still, he was able to get back onto his feet and slowly make his way out of the hazy maze. Luigi noticed the yellow "fog" clearing away and saw what looked like the figure of his brother ahead of him.

"Mario!" Luigi said weakly. Suddenly, his vision went black and he fell flat on his face as he went unconscious. He thought he heard Mario call his name, but the words were severely muffled, almost as if he were trying to talk underwater. After that, everything went silent and Luigi went into a deep sleep.

* * *

**Hey, everyone! Sorry I was unable to update a little sooner. I was busy with the family during the Labor Day weekend and wasn't near the computer a whole lot during that time. But I was able to finish the chapter nonetheless! :)**

**Luigi stumbled into a cave filled with poisonous yellow haze, leaving him dazed and judgmentally impaired. He does, however, find his brother just beyond the haze, but ends up falling unconscious after being exposed for far too long. This was fully inspired by the underground hazy maze from Super Mario 64, which is also one of my favorite parts of the game.**

**Luigi's suffering is obviously going to have a negative impact on the brothers' progress, but by how much? Is there still hope of accomplishing their first goal? If so, how will they do it?**

**I'll try to update sometime by the end of this week, but until then I will catch you later! Stay tuned! :)**

**saturn95**


	13. Part 1, Chapter 13

**13**

Bowser gazed out the window of his bedroom to the desolate landscape that stretched for miles. A few hours have passed since he heard from Lord Crump and wondered if he was making any progress. He hoped that he would get an answer by the end of the day. Outside, the sun was making its way towards the southern sky as the midmorning hours started fading to noon. Since Bowser lived above the North (Arctic) Circle, the sun always appeared low in the sky when it was visible and the temperature remained cooler…that is if the relentless volcanic activity was not occurring. The last time Bowser experienced a clear, cool day in the Darklands was almost twenty years ago. Since then, fumes of volcanic gas have polluted the air and turned the daytime sky into a bright orange-brown color. Even during the night, the glowing lava flows would give the horizon an evil, reddish cast.

Suddenly, Ludwig von Koopa, Bowser's oldest child, ran into the room. At eleven years of age, Ludwig can be described as presumptuous, arrogant, and the cruelest of his siblings, but is still very much into culture; he likes listening to classical music and he is already beginning to compose his own "Koopa Symphonies" which deeply impressed his father. In physical traits, Ludwig also has a spiky green shell like his father, but has long blue hair instead of red. And, like the other six Koopalings (excluding little Bowser Jr.), he did have horns on his head like his father.

"What is it, Ludwig?!" Bowser said.

"Dad! Dad! The baby is having another fit! I don't know what's wrong with him!"

"Where's Kamek?" Bowser asked.

"He's practicing his magic right now. He asked me to watch over Junior."

"Where are the other Koopalings?" Bowser asked.

"They're in the playroom fighting over the toys again as usual." Ludwig said. "They should be lucky to even get to play with them at all!"

"Son, I know that they drive you insane," his father said, "but you must have patience for them! They're still learning how to be evil."

"Yes, father." Ludwig said. "But please! Junior is really upset!"

* * *

Back in the castle basement, Princess Peach and Princess Daisy finally woke up after a long and restless sleep. They felt dizzy and famished from the night before and were soon craving food. But they knew that their next meal was not coming anytime soon and they were going to have to behave themselves if they wanted to stay alive.

"Ugh…" Peach said. "I really hate this place!"

"Yeah." Daisy said. "I'm surprised that Bowser hasn't torched us yet! Where the hell is he right now?!"

"I don't know and I don't _want_ to know." Peach said. "As long as he's away from us, I'll be alright."

"I can't wait to give Bowser the biggest black eye he's ever had!" Daisy said. "No one messes with Princess Daisy!"

Peach laughed.

"What?!" Daisy said.

"Oh, nothing." Peach said.

"Yeah right, Peach!" Daisy replied. "Tell me what you're thinking!"

"Luigi's already messed with you." Peach said.

Daisy glared at her cousin with irritated eyes.

"Don't start this again, girl!" Daisy said. "You know I'm not ashamed of it!"

"Touché." Peach said.

The princesses paced back in forth inside their cage as they wondered of the whereabouts of Mario and Luigi. They were starting to have more concerning thoughts the more they discussed. Still, they were confident that they were going to save them from Bowser.

"I really hope that Mario and Luigi are okay." Peach said. "I can only hope that Bowser's army hasn't killed them off already."

"What are you talking about, Peach?!" Daisy said. "Of course they're alright! They _have_ to be! I can sense it."

"How?" Peach asked.

"Well, I had this dream last night where Mario and Luigi took on a whole Koopa army with fire flowers and fists!" Daisy said. "That was before they entered a cave and encountered traps and dangerous areas. But they still managed to survive!"

"Sounds like the dream was unfinished." Peach said.

"Yeah, well I was unable to sleep good last night so I never had the chance." Daisy replied. "Did you dream about anything?"

"No." Peach said. "I was afraid that Bowser would try and torture us in horrible ways."

"I know what you mean." Daisy said. "I've been feeling that way ever since we ended up in this trap."

"I'm still scared, Daisy!" Peach said. "I've never had to fear for my life at all like this!"

"We'll get through this, Peach." Daisy replied. "Once we get out of here, everything will be back to normal. I promise."

* * *

After finally calming little Bowser Jr. to sleep, Bowser left the room and made his back down to the command center to look for Kamek. It was when he reached the elevator door (yes, Bowser has an elevator!) when Kamek stepped out of it. He ran towards Bowser.

"Bowser! Come quick! Our satellite caught something!" Kamek shouted. "I noticed it in the footage when I finished my magic session!"

"What?!" Bowser said. "Is that good or bad?!"

"Bad!" Kamek said. "I'll show you in the satellite center!"

Bowser and Kamek entered the elevator as the door shut behind them. Bowser pressed the button labeled "satellite center" and the elevator started to go down into the ground. The elevator then came to a stop and the door opened.

Bowser's satellite center was highly advanced. There were computer monitors lined along each of the room's hundred-foot long walls with Koopa scientists and technicians sitting in front of them hard at work. In the middle of the room were giant machines that monitored satellite as well as weather activity throughout the world. Among them was Bowser's giant holographic simulator, which had the capability of rendering three-dimensional computerized models showing the positions of satellites he had sent into orbit around the Earth. He was proud of this machine. Not only did he build it himself, but there was nothing else like it in the world. The machine itself is so valuable, that the Koopa army elites estimated it to be worth more than the economies of the Mushroom Kingdom and Sarasaland _combined._ But then again, they were not full-blown experts when it came to money value.

Kamek lead Bowser over to a television monitor in of the room's "cubicles" and brought up a still satellite image of a dark and remote region of Earth.

"This was captured by one of our spy satellites as it flew over the dig site outside of Rogueport." Kamek said. "This footage was taken over two hours ago, around the same time you were last contacted by Lord Crump."

"So what's so bad about it?!" Bowser asked.

"Watch and you'll see!" Kamek said. "Let me zoom in first and fast forward just a little bit!"

Kamek zoomed in until the individual trees and buildings were easily distinguishable and then played the footage back. Bowser watched as two figures were suddenly seen running, followed by an army of five Koopas. Bowser immediately knew who they were.

"It's them!" Bowser said.

The brothers were seen trapped inside a hole for a little while, and then Bowser was surprised at the sight of fire coming from the Mario brothers and knocking down the small army. He became outraged when the brothers walked off the screen. The monitor went black soon after.

"That happened two hours ago!" Kamek said. "They blew through your army like it was nothing!"

"I realize that!" Bowser shouted. "Where was Lord Crump when this occurred?!"

"The satellite wasn't able to spot him!" Kamek said. "It was on the wrong side of the Earth after it captured this video!"

"THIS IS NOT GOOD AT ALL!" Bowser yelled. "LORD CRUMP IS GOING TO PAY IF HE DOESN'T DO HIS JOB!"

Bowser stormed out of the satellite center and closed the elevator door behind him. He knew that he was beginning to lose this battle, but he was determined to not let the prophecy come true!

* * *

**Bowser now knows what is going on five time zones away from him thanks to one of his highly advanced spy satellites. Unfortunately, it revealed that not everything was going the way it was planned and Bowser thinks that Lord Crump is failing to carry out his duty. So what will he do now that the plot is starting to thicken?**

**The princesses are seeing no promising hopes of ever getting away from Bowser so far. It is notable that Daisy's dream was accurate to what happened to Mario and Luigi just hours before they woke up and that Peach's comment that her dream was unfinished further emphasizes her deep wish of them being with the Mario brothers again.**

**Ludwig von Koopa was also introduced in this chapter. Although he is still young, it is evident that he is already somewhat beginning to show some of his father's irritable traits. **

**See you in the next chapter! :)**

**saturn95**


	14. Part 1, Chapter 14

**14**

"LUIGI! PLEASE WAKE UP!" Mario shouted. Luigi had been unconscious for almost two hours and Mario was sobbing. He knew that his brother was still alive because he was still breathing, but Mario was afraid that the poison gas caused major brain damage and that there would be no hope of carrying on with their journey. Mario somehow knew that Luigi's idea would backfire, but now he was regretting not listening to his own instincts. His brother was intoxicated and there was nothing he could do to help him regain his consciousness. He had to wait it out, even if it took longer than it already has. But Mario was beginning to grow impatient.

"DAMN IT, LUIGI! WAKE UP!" he shouted.

Still no response.

"I KNOW YOU'RE STILL ALIVE!"

As if Luigi were faking his state of unconsciousness, he immediately woke up and saw Mario looking down at him. Mario smiled when Luigi opened his eyes.

"Mario?" Luigi said. "Is that you?"

"Luigi!" Mario cried. "Thank god you're still alive!"

"What happened?" Luigi asked.

"You were wandering through poisonous gas!" Mario said. "It knocked you out for a good two hours!"

Luigi's eyes widened.

"TWO HOURS?!" Luigi said. "WE NEED TO FIND THAT STAR!"

"I know!" Mario said. "I didn't want to leave you behind! I need your help! You need my help too."

"Thanks, bro." Luigi said. "I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't saved me. I probably would've ended up dying in that hazy maze! I can't thank you enough."

"I'm always there for you, Luigi." Mario said. "Remember that."

"Oh, I will." Luigi said. "I just need to stop passing out so much!"

* * *

After Luigi was fully 'reawakened', he and Mario both continued down the small cave that was connected to the hazy cave and the heavily trapped cave that Mario emerged from. It was dark, but not as dark as it had been, because the brothers have been accustomed to it for hours. They were growing sick of the underground environment and wished that they were above ground enjoying the morning sunshine. They wished they were wearing dry, clean clothes and safe inside a new home. But they were almost to their first goal and there was no turning back now.

"You wouldn't believe the hell I had to go through to get where I am now." Mario said as he started telling his story to Luigi.

"Really? What happened?" Luigi asked.

Mario explained in gruesome detail the trials he endured. He told Luigi about the deadly spikes and various other traps that threatened his very existence as he struggled to keep up with the fast pace. Luigi could not believe it.

"You actually performed a wall jump?!" Luigi asked. "I'm impressed!"

"Yeah." Mario said. "Too bad the other members at the Toad Town gym weren't there to witness it! Man, they would've been thrilled!"

"More thrilled than the time you did that marathon?" Luigi said.

"Probably." Mario replied. "Either that or I would've been hired as a stunt performer at Toad Town Studios for upcoming film releases!"

"You really think so?" Luigi said doubtfully.

"I don't know." Mario said.

The brothers laughed. Then Luigi changed the subject.

"Why would the builders of this place fill it with such dangerous traps?" Luigi asked.

"I guess they were determined to make sure that no one would ever abuse the power of the stars again, like what the Shadow Queen did." Mario said. "That's the only thing I could really think of."

"I was thinking the same thing." Luigi said. "If that's the case, then Bowser really has the guts to get past them!"

"Well, look at us!" Mario said. "Look how far we made it! I don't think anyone else would have the athletic capabilities to dodge huge blades and spikes."

"Not even Lord Crump?" Luigi asked.

"I hope he doesn't have the star!" Mario said. "If he does, then we'll have to chase him if we can find him. I don't know about you, but I'm already sick of chasing people that we hate."

"I couldn't agree more, brother." Luigi said. "We really got ourselves into a bunch of shit this time, didn't we?"

"At least it's for a good cause." Mario said. "That is, _if we survive_."

The brothers gulped at the thought of it as they walked down the lonely rocky corridors that snaked beneath the earth. If the builders of this labyrinth really wanted the star to be locked away, they would have had to make the labyrinth huge. The brothers realized this and were convinced that the stars were meant to stay out of evil's grasp.

"How big is this place?" Mario asked.

"I haven't the slight thought." Luigi said. "It's already larger than we anticipated!"

"Come to think of it, I think this tunnel leads to another large cavern up ahead!" Mario said. "Follow me."

Luigi cautiously followed his brother to the end of the tunnel where it in fact did lead to a larger cavern – a MUCH larger cavern. The brothers looked around in awe. The cavern was about hundred feet wide and almost a hundred feet at its highest. Most of the walls were covered with large diamond formations that glowed under faint beams of sunlight that penetrated through small holes in the rocky ceiling. The light was then refracted into brilliant rainbows that dotted the cavern with vibrant color. Mario and Luigi were lost for words.

"Wow!" Mario said. "This place is huge!"

"And beautiful!" Luigi added. "Those miners should have never given up their operations here! Just think how much money those large diamonds would be worth! They would've made fortunes!"

"Those could easily beat the world record!" Mario said. "And to think that they've been hidden for centuries, right under our noses!"

At the center of the cavern was a giant pillar of rock that stood almost two-thirds of the way up to the top of the huge cavern. At the very top, where the light from a hole in the ceiling hit in just the right spot, something started to glow.

"Look!" Luigi said, pointing up towards the light. "There's something at the top!"

The brothers looked up and saw that the object was on top of a small pedestal that rested itself perfectly upright at the very top of the giant rocky structure. More importantly, the object that was resting on the pedestal had five points. Mario smiled.

"Luigi." Mario said.

"Yes, brother?" Luigi asked.

"I think we hit the jackpot!"

* * *

**Hey, everyone! **

**Looks like Lord Crump isn't going to win this competition. Mario and Luigi have finally found the first Crystal Star and also discovered some of the largest diamonds in the world on top of that! What a valuable discovery! I bet the brothers wish they would've brought a camera with them!**

**Now that the brothers have found what they were looking for, their next puzzle is to figure out how to get to the top of the cavern. How are they going to do it? The answer will be revealed in the next chapter. Until then, I have to work on some school work, but it shouldn't be too long before I update again. See you later ;)**

**saturn95**


	15. Part 1, Chapter 15

**15**

"The question is how do we get up to it?" Luigi asked.

"That's a good question." Mario said, as both of them focused their attention upwards at the Crystal Star.

"Well, we can't climb up the rocks." Luigi said. "They're too steep."

"Let me try!" Mario said.

Luigi watched as his brother attempted to climb the rocks. He did manage to make it up a few feet, but ultimately found himself sliding back down to the bottom. Mario was frustrated.

"Damn! That is steep!" he said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Well, duh." Luigi said. "Isn't that what I just told you? Look at it! There's no way for either of us to get up that tall rock! It's practically vertical!"

"Yes! I get it!" Mario said furiously.

_You could've just listened to me!_ Luigi thought, looking at his brother with a teasing expression. Mario just glared back.

"I don't see you attempting any of this!" he said. "I had to do it to escape death!"

"Hold on!" Luigi said. "I think I know what to do. Look around you and tell me what you see."

"All I see are giant diamonds on the cave walls." Mario said. "What could they possibly be used for?"

"Just look." Luigi said. "You might feel stupid when you realize it."

Mario looked up at the giant diamond structures, but did not quite understand what Luigi was trying to tell him. He could not see how they would help them reach the top.

"I hope you're good at long-jumping." Luigi said.

"Wait a minute!" Mario said, looking up at the diamond structures again. He suddenly realized that each of them had flat tops.

"Are you saying that we have to jump across each of those outcrops in order to get the star?" Mario asked. "They look like they're too far apart."

"What other options do we have?" Luigi asked. "There's really nothing else we can do."

"But then how do we get to the top of the giant rock structure if the diamond platforms are too far away from it?" Mario asked.

"There are some dead piranha plant roots hanging from the ceiling." Luigi said. "We just have to swing across…without falling."

"I've already had to do that once." Mario said. "But not high up like that!"

Luigi looked up at the dangling plant roots and gulped. His life was definitely in danger now. Of all the athletic events he attended, Luigi somehow always struggled with rope swinging. If he was to fail now, there would be no second chance, and Mario would have to go on without him. He became extremely tense.

"Well? Are you going to lead the way?" Mario asked.

"Yes." Luigi said reluctantly. "I think that's a good idea."

Luigi directed Mario's attention toward a low diamond formation near the entrance and climbed onto it. Mario followed and waited for Luigi to jump to the next 'platform'.

"Come one, Luigi!" Mario said. "I know you can do this!"

"I'm scared of heights!" Luigi said.

"Luigi!" Mario yelled. "You're only a few feet off the ground! How could you, of all people, be afraid of just a few measly feet?!"

"There's hardly any room to walk!" Luigi said. "It's almost impossible to do a running jump!"

"You can do it!" Mario said. "I've seen you back at the gym."

"Fine, I'll do it!" Luigi said.

Luigi readied himself and examined the platform in front of him. He then jumped towards the ledge and managed to grab the edge of the next diamond platform, but suddenly found himself struggling to get up.

"HELP!" Luigi cried.

"Pull yourself up!" Mario called out from behind. "Remember the pull-up bar? Think about that!"

After Luigi heard his brother's comment, he suddenly gained more energy and climbed on top of the diamond platform. He wiped the sweat from his face and sighed in relief. Looking back, he saw that Mario already found his way onto the first giant diamond.

"Excellent, bro!" Mario said. "The rest should be easy!"

Luigi looked ahead and saw that the diamonds on the cave walls were getting higher up ahead. The gaps between them were also smaller, but challenging nonetheless.

"It's not as easy as it looks!" Luigi said.

"Don't worry, Luigi. I've got your back." Mario said as he watched Luigi pick something up from the platform.

"Here, Mario! Catch!" Luigi said, tossing his brother a chunk of loose diamond. Mario caught it and gave Luigi a strange look.

"Why are you giving me this?" Mario asked.

"It's a gift for Peach!" Luigi said. "Give it to her when you see her again!"

Mario looked at the diamond chunk and immediately thought of the diamond gift Luigi had given Daisy a few years back. It brought a smile to his face, but at the same time, he had an envious thought on his mind; for the first time, Mario felt inferior to Luigi when it came to the subject of maintaining a relationship with a woman.

_Luigi really has grown up_. Mario thought, starring into the diamond with teary eyes. _He grew up too fast... _I_ grew up too fast... _We both _grew up too fast!_

"Are you coming, Mario?" Luigi asked.

Mario looked up at Luigi with tears running down his face.

"Is something wrong, brother?" Luigi asked. "You don't look too happy."

"No. No." Mario said. "Nothing's wrong. I'll catch up to you in a moment."

"Okay." Luigi said.

Mario starred into the diamond again and envisioned a bright future with Princess Peach. He wanted to be with her again and wanted to start a new life with her. He wanted to start a family with her and work a full-time job making hefty amounts of gold coins. But more importantly, Mario wanted to keep her safe and happy.

As tears continued running down Mario's face, one managed to land on the diamond in his hands. He wiped it off and wiped his face before he put the diamond inside the rucksack on his back. Mario then looked up ahead and saw that Luigi was already on the next platform. He jumped and grabbed the second platform before climbing up onto it.

"I'm coming, Luigi!" Mario called out. "Wait up!"


	16. Part 1, Chapter 16

**16**

Mario and Luigi continued scaling the cave walls, climbing higher and higher as they went. With Luigi still ahead of Mario, and the platforms getting harder to tread on, the pressure of staying alive was rising exponentially. They were both approximately seventy feet from the ground below and the top of the giant rock 'pillar' was now clearly visible. The Crystal Star displayed the same luminous effect as the surrounding diamond structures that covered the walls of the giant cave, but with ten times more luminosity. Nonetheless, it was truly a sight to behold, but it came with a deadly consequence for those not careful enough to avoid falling back down into the dark abyss.

Mario followed behind Luigi cautiously as they both walked across an extremely narrow rock ledge that linked itself to the last diamond outcrop. It became so narrow, that both brothers had to hug the wall in order to save themselves from falling to their death.

"Don't look down!" Mario said.

"I've got it." Luigi said.

"That's what I like to hear!" Mario said. "You're almost there!"

Luigi lead the way and was finally able to reach the final platform after slipping a couple of times. His heart was beating fast as he started to examine the dead plant roots hanging from the rocky ceiling. Mario inched his way across the narrow path, but suddenly ran into massive trouble. He did exactly what he told his brother not to do: look down. Mario started to lose his balance as he began suffering from sudden, intense vertigo.

"LUIGI! HELP ME!" Mario cried as he started slipping from the ledge. The rock beneath him quickly broke apart and Mario fell, but Luigi was quick to catch him by the hand before it was too late. He pulled Mario up onto the ledge with much of his strength and helped him back on his feet.

"Thank you, Luigi!" Mario said, breathing heavily. "That was too close for comfort!"

"I know what you mean." Luigi said. "We still have to swing over to the star on that giant plant root."

"Are you going to go first?" Mario asked.

"Well…I don't know." Luigi said. "I've never been good at swinging on ropes."

"Come on, Luigi!" Mario said. "I think you're good enough to get the star. All it takes is one swing!"

"But we're almost a hundred feet above the cave floor!" Luigi said. "Besides, I need to regain some of my energy."

"Would a red mushroom help?" Mario asked.

"Maybe." Luigi said. "How many are there in the rucksack?"

"Oh, there's plenty of them in here!" Mario said. "Here, take one!"

"Will do." Luigi said.

Luigi took the mushroom and swallowed it whole and felt the energy surge through him once again. He was ready to do anything now.

"I think this mushroom is also a real confidence booster!" Luigi said.

"It probably is." Mario said. "For them to make us 'stronger', it probably means both physically and mentally, I would assume."

"Well, here goes nothing!" Luigi said.

After taking a few steps back, Luigi sprinted towards the edge of the platform and jumped towards the 'rope' and managed to grab it. As he held on for dear life, Luigi started to swing to gain more momentum to reach for the Crystal Star.

"Almost there!" Luigi said under his own breath.

"You can do it, Luigi!" Mario shouted.

Luigi made the rope travel back and forth a few more times before he readied himself for a huge jump to the central landing. Finally, when the timing was just right, Luigi jumped gracefully through the air and landed near the Crystal Star. He had made it.

"Your turn, Mario!" Luigi called out.  
"Don't touch the star yet!" Mario said. "Let me get over there first!"

Mario pulled out another red mushroom and took a few bites out of it. He felt stronger once again and started backing away from the edge of the diamond platform. He sprinted and performed a long jump and grabbed the plant root and started to swing to regain momentum that was lost from his weight pulling against it.

"HURRY, MARIO!" Luigi shouted. "IT'S GOING TO SNAP!"

Mario looked up and saw that the plant root was starting to tear away from the ceiling. He had to hurry.

"Oh, shit!" Mario said. "I'm too god damned heavy!"

"Just hurry and jump, bro!" Luigi said. "There's no time to complain about your weight!"

With one final swing, Mario let go of the rope and flew towards the central platform where Luigi was standing and made a smooth landing just when the rope broke free from the ceiling and fell into the dark where the brothers entered. Mario's chest was pounding uncontrollably making it hard for him to breath. But he was slowly able to calm himself down and join Luigi next to the large pedestal where the Crystal Star glowed luminously in the rays of sunshine that made their way into the cavern. Mario looked at closely and saw that it was not made of crystal, but rather out of clear white diamond. Both him and Luigi stared at it in awe, much like when they were little children staring into the window of a candy shop.

"Look at it, Luigi." Mario said. "It's so beautiful."

"It's over a thousand years old." Luigi said. "In all that time, no one was able to recover it again. We're the first to see it since it was buried here."

"That's amazing!" Mario said. "Words can't even describe how I feel right now."

"Hang on." Luigi said. "What's this on the back of it?"

Mario looked and saw what Luigi saw. It was a strange, yet familiar looking symbol. It consisted of a small cross that was connected to a circle just above it.

"It looks like the symbol for females and womanhood." Mario said. "That's very odd."

"Why would they put that on there?" Luigi asked.

"I'm not sure." Mario asked. "I can't remember, but does this symbol possibly mean anything else?"

"Well, the only thing that comes to my mind is the planetary symbol for Venus." Luigi said. "But I don't understand why the makers of this artifact would put that there. It seems rather strange."

"I'm sure that whatever the reason is," Mario said, "they put it on there for some purpose we don't understand…at least not at the moment."

The two brothers glanced at each other and smiled.

"One down, six to go!" Luigi said. "Are you going to grab it, Mario?"

"Don't mind if I do!" Mario said, as he reached out and took the star from its pedestal and stored it inside the rucksack. Their first objective had been completed. Now it was time to find a way out.


	17. Part 1, Chapter 17

**17**

As the two brothers backed away from the pedestal, the ground beneath them started to shake and rumble as the cave started to collapse. Rocks and pebbles were raining from the ceiling and the giant rock structure that the brothers were standing on was starting to give way and crumble down into the darker areas of the cave. Mario and Luigi panicked as they frantically searched for an escape route.

"Oh, shit!" Mario said. "I think we're fucked!"

"What are we going to do?!" Luigi asked. "The whole place is falling apart!"

"Just give me a moment!" Mario said. "I'm trying to think!"

"Well, hurry!" Luigi said. "We can't stand here forever!"

Luigi screamed as he suddenly fell down as the unstable earth tried to take him to his demise. Luckily, Mario was able to grab his hand and pull him back to safety. Mario then jumped out of the way as a large boulder tried to crush him, but was also quick in being careful not to run over the edge of the now smaller central rock platform. There was so little space left, that both brothers were literally standing neck to neck. It seemed that all hope was lost.

"WE'RE TRAPPED, MARIO!" Luigi shouted. "THERE'S NO ESCAPE!"

"I'M TRYING TO FIND A WAY OUT!" Mario said. "BUT I NEED YOU TO HELP ME!"

"WHAT DO YOU THINK I'M TRYING TO DO?!" Luigi shouted back.

Suddenly, a large portion of the ceiling crumbled and large boulders started falling over the brothers. They were quick to dodge the large heavy rocks as light suddenly poured down upon them. Mario and Luigi looked above them and saw the ceiling had given away to the outside world. The morning sun was still rather low in the bright blue sky, but it was shining brightly and the brothers almost felt blinded by the light after being in the dark for such a long time. The brothers were also confronted with a nasty surprise from the surface above. Waiting for them just above their heads were three carnivorous piranha plants, each snapping their jaws like a deranged Chain-Chomp. Mario and Luigi were especially frightened.

"Now we're really fucked!" Luigi said.

"I don't know how to say this, Luigi." Mario said. "But I think we've reached the end of our journey."

"What?!" Luigi said. "You mean you're giving up on the princesses?!"

"I'm afraid so." Mario said. "It's the only option we have."

"That's not the Mario I know!" Luigi said. "The Mario I know never gives up! What happened to you?"

Mario looked up at the evil plants. They gave him a crazed look which translated to a desire to kill. As he looked up, he could not help but think that he was missing something, something that he could use to get him and Luigi out of the caves. Then, it hit him.

"Alright, Luigi." he said. "Stand back and watch your brother do something amazing."

Luigi watched as his brother took out another fire flower and rubbed it in his hand. Mario was now 'burning' and getting a fireball ready. Luigi knew what Mario was trying to do, but at the same time he did not quite understand the entire plan. Mario readied his aim and then threw the fireball at one of the piranha plants with ease. Then, Luigi watched as his brother suddenly jumped at the screeching plant and started climbing up the stem.

"Come on, Luigi!" Mario shouted. "Hurry before the ground collapses beneath you!"

Luigi jumped up and barely managed to grab the green stem as the ground finally collapsed. He reached out for his brother's hand, but remembered that it would burn him if he tried to take hold of it while the fire flower's power was still in effect.

"Mario! Toss me a fire flower!" Luigi shouted. "I need to grab your hand before I lose my grip!"

"Here!" Mario said, throwing a flower down to his brother. Luigi reached out to grab it, but was unable to catch it.

"Shit!" Luigi shouted. "I missed it!"

"For heaven's sake, Luigi!" Mario said. "Now's not the time to waste all of our supplies!"

"I'm not trying to waste anything!" Luigi said, his grip becoming weaker by the second. "Toss me another one!"

Mario reached into the bag and tossed Luigi another flower. Fortunately, he was able to catch it this time and rub its powers into his hand.

"Grab my hand, Luigi!" Mario shouted. "Don't keep me hanging around!"

Luigi grabbed Mario's hand and continued climbing up the stem with his assistance. Suddenly, the piranha plant started to jerk violently as it began to realize that the brothers were climbing on its stem.

"Hold on!" Mario shouted as him and Luigi were thrown around like a leather belt when someone is receiving a beating. The other two plants realized what was going on and started attacking the two brothers with their large sharp teeth. Mario and Luigi threw fireballs at them, knocking them out for a few moments to avoid losing their grip. Then, the brothers were sent flying upwards incredibly fast as the first piranha plant started shaking them off. Pretty soon, Mario and Luigi were sideways in the air and then upside-down and the force of motion became too much for them to handle. The brothers were sent flying into the air for a few seconds before making a hard landing on the soft grass above the cave. Mario and Luigi got up and threw one last fireball at the three plants and watched as they were all sent ablaze. The plants lowered their heads as they suffered a slow and painful death. When the screeching ended, the two brothers looked at one another and hugged each other.

"We did it, Luigi." Mario said. "We have the first star."

"Thank you for saving my life!" Luigi said.

"The same goes for you too, bro." Mario replied. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Mario and Luigi starred out into the open green landscape and enjoyed the quiet, cool morning air that blew through their hair. They survived another night of horror and unspeakable obstacles and they were growing very tired. Luigi felt his stomach growl intensely, suddenly remembering that they have not eaten anything in over twenty-four hours.

"Come on, Mario." Luigi said. "Let's get some breakfast."

"_You're not going anywhere_." said a disturbing voice from behind the two brothers. They turned around and saw Lord Crump standing there, getting ready to throw a swift attack on them…

* * *

**Finally! I've been able to update this story! I've been playing a game called Clock Tower (it's a PS1 title), and oh my gosh it is addicting!**

**Anyway, the two brothers finally made it out of the cave, but they still have one more problem before moving on to World 2: Lord Crump. How long will it take the two brothers to force him onto his knees to beg for mercy? Will he escape and attack the two brothers at a later point? **

**There are only three more chapters for part 1...Part 2 will be very interesting, so stay tuned and start making predictions (if you so desire). I look forward to starting another mini adventure in a different setting. Until then, see you next time :)**

**saturn95**


	18. Part 1, Chapter 18

**18**

"I've got you right where I want you." Lord Crump said as he approached the two brothers. Mario and Luigi fearfully backed off. "Hand me the crystal star!"

"How do you know we even have the star?" Mario asked.

"I saw it shine inside of your backpack!" Lord Crump said. "What kind of crap do you keep inside of that thing?! It looks like it's stuffed to the very top!"

"Why do you care?!" Mario said. "You don't see me judge you on how fat you are!"

"ENOUGH!" Lord Crump shouted. "Now…about that crystal star…"

"Sorry!" Luigi said. "It's not for sale!"

"Well, that's too bad." Lord Crump. "I was planning on giving you over _two thousand_ gold coins to help you on your quest for the princesses. I guess you two are willing to starve then…"

"We don't take money from chumps like you!" Luigi said.

"Really, now?" Lord Crump asked. "Is that what you consider me as? A chump?"

"Well, it's better than considering you _fat_!" Luigi said.

Angered by his comment, Lord Crump attacked Luigi and knocked him to the ground, along with Mario, after which he pulled out a large knife blade. He pointed the blade at the brothers.

"Now you listen to me!" Lord Crump said. "I'll give you a simple decision. Either you give me that star and receive some coinage, or you die and I take it myself."

_Sounds like a deal that was already offered to us…_ Mario thought as Lord Crump brought the knife blade closer. He reached into the rucksack and took out the glistening, five-pointed diamond treasure and pondered over the decision.

"That's right, Mario." Lord Crump sneered. "Give the star to me."

"Don't do it!" Luigi said. "It's a trap!"

"JUST GIVE THE DAMN STAR TO ME!" Lord Crump shouted.

Mario did not know what to do. On one end, he could save himself and Luigi from death by giving the star away, but at the same time would bring Bowser a step closer to initiating his evil plan. On the other hand, the brothers would die, that is if they were willing to pull off another amazing stunt. But they had already wasted much of their energy trying to get out of the cave to the point where they could just fall asleep. Still, even if he did give in to Lord Crump's request, he probably would kill them anyway. Mario could not trust him.

"What's it going to be?" Lord Crump asked. "Are you going to give me the star?"

"Maybe…" Mario said.

"Maybe?! What is that supposed to mean?" Lord Crump asked.

"_Maybe in a million years_!"

Lord Crump was flushed with anger and immediately threw the knife at Mario. Luckily, it did not kill him, but it did manage to cut his arm. Mario cried in agony and immediately swallowed a green mushroom to ease and destroy the wound and the pain that came with it. Mario went over to pick up the knife, but Lord Crump tackled him to ground before he had the chance.

"Luigi! Help!" Mario cried as Lord Crump started twisting his arms in hurtful positions.

"What's your brother going to do?" Lord Crump sneered. "He's just as weak as you are, if not weaker!"

"Get away from my brother!" Luigi yelled as he kicked Lord Crump in the face with all his strength. Mario was then able to escape, but quickly realized that something was missing.

"The star!" Mario said. The brothers turned around and heard an evil laughter as Lord Crump got up onto his feet and took the star into his hands.

"Luigi! Grab the knife!" Mario said. "He's getting away!"

"Catch me if you can, _chumps_!" Lord Crump shouted. "Now, you'll never be able to fulfill the prophecy! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Mario and Luigi started running after Lord Crump with the last bit of energy that they had and was surprised at how far ahead he was. However, since the brothers were athletically superior to him, they were already beginning to catch up to him. Lord Crump turned around and became nervous as they started gaining on him.

"You can run, but you can't get away!" Mario said.

"That's what you think!" Lord Crump shouted back.

"Are you sure about that?" Luigi shouted.

Lord Crump was starting to gain energy again when he accidentally stumbled over a small rock that was jutting out of the ground; he fell into the grass and groaned as he saw the two brothers standing over him with the intention of hurting him. Mario and Luigi then started punching and kicking him with all of their strength, leaving Lord Crump bruised and bloody. Finally, Lord Crump started to give up.

"PLEASE! STOP!" he cried. "I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!"

"Give us the star!" Mario demanded. "NOW!"

"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! YOU WIN!" Lord Crump said. "Take your damned star! Just don't kill me!"

Mario picked up the diamond star and gave Lord Crump one final glare before kicking him in the head once more, knocking him unconscious.

"Do you still have the knife, Luigi?" Mario asked.

"Yes." Luigi said.

"_Keep it_." Mario said. "It may come in use later."

"I think we should get out of here." Luigi said.

"Hold on." Mario said. "Let's see what else Lord Crump has give us."

Mario reached into his pockets and found Lord Crump's wallet, which contained over _three thousand _gold coins, some useless pictures, as well as a couple of cigars. Mario took the money and the cigars and stored them inside the rucksack. Luigi gave Mario a weird look.

"Uh…why do we need cigars?" he asked.

"I don't know." Mario said. "I just feel like taking them to make Lord Crump miserable."

"I see." Luigi said. "That money is definitely going to help us though."

"I know. Mario said. "Now, let's hurry and find the nearest town."

Mario and Luigi left Lord Crump lying in the green grass and walked towards the west with the sun's orange morning rays shining on their backs. The landscape around them was completely different from the archeological dig, indicating that they made some distance, almost if they had travelled though the center of the earth. Mario and Luigi were certain that they were still somewhere in the Mushroom Kingdom outside of Rogueport. Nonetheless, they found themselves lost in a strange environment in the middle of a grassy field surrounded by small tree-filled mountains hosting danger around every corner.


	19. Part 1, Chapter 19

**19**

Mario and Luigi had no way of telling time, but they guessed that it was around nine o'clock. They were now walking through a thick forest and the sun was inching its way higher into the sky as the noon hours started approaching. None of Bowser's additional Koopa soldiers have been seen since they entered the cave during the early morning hours, but they were highly fatigued and famished. The brothers had to find food and some place to rest and fast.

"Luigi, I think I see a road up ahead!" Mario said, pointing down a small hill to a rather large clearing where there were no trees. "Let's go!"

Mario and Luigi ran down the hill and saw a dirt path in the clearing. When they reached the bottom of the hill, they saw a Toad person walking towards them from their left. The two brothers walked to over to him.

"Excuse me, sir!" Mario yelled. "Excuse me!"

"How may I help you two?" the Toad person asked.

"Do you know where the nearest town is?" Luigi asked.

"Why, of course!" said the stranger. "I was just on my way their right now! Please, follow me!"

"Oh, thank you so much!" Mario said.

"Well, I'm glad I could be of service to you two." said the Toad person. "By the way, my name's Thomas."

"I'm Mario and this is my brother Luigi." Mario said.

"Wait." Thomas said. "Are you _the _Mario and Luigi that recently went missing?"

"Yes." Luigi said.

"The whole kingdom is worried sick about you guys!" Thomas said. "What are you guys doing clear out here?!"

"We'll explain everything when we get into town; it's a rather long story." Luigi said. "By the way, what's the name of the town we're going into?"

"Petalburg." Thomas said. "You'll like it a lot. It's a very peaceful place. If you guys want, I can get you guys some breakfast. You two look like you've been through a lot."

"We have." Mario said. "We've been through too much."

* * *

The brothers followed Thomas down the dirt path and down a large hill where the town of Petalburg stood. It was a truly beautiful place. As they entered, Mario and Luigi looked around and saw that there flowers on almost every green lawn. The houses were very well-furnished and in great shape, unlike the houses they had seen in Rogueport the day before. All of the Koopas that they encountered walking down the street were very friendly to the two brothers. Mario and Luigi also saw little Koopa children playing games on driveways and on the sidewalk, games that they had once played as children when their lives were not being ruined by outside forces. The thought of it made them sad.

Thomas and the brothers rounded a neighborhood corner and walked towards the central part of town where most of the restaurants were located. They entered a nearby breakfast bar and sat down at one of the booths. It was a relief for the two brothers to sit down in a chair.

"You have no idea how good it feels to sit down after being on the run for a couple of days!" Luigi said.

"What are you guys running from?" Thomas said. "You guys did say that you would explain your story, didn't you?"

"Let me start from the beginning." Mario said. "It all started the night of the king's funeral."

"Alright, I'm listening." Thomas said.

"Well, when Bowser attacked the castle, we took the princesses back to our house to keep them safe. But Bowser and his minions caught us and kidnapped the two princesses and even tried to kill us with a Bob-Omb while having us strapped to a couple of chairs."

"That explains why your house was demolished." Thomas said. "It said so in the paper yesterday. How did you guys get away?"

Mario went on to tell the rest of the story as a waiter took their orders and left to prepare their meals. He told Thomas about their adventure in Rogueport and the surprises they discovered there. He also told him about the prophecy and Bowser's evil plan to take over the world with the Seven Crystal Stars that were once used by the Shadow Queen almost a thousand years ago. He also told him about Mario and Luigi's ambitious plan to save the princesses from Bowser. However, Thomas seemed very skeptical about it.

"You guys must really have the guts to go after Bowser like that!" Thomas said. "I can't imagine anything more stupid and reckless!"

"That's what everyone else thinks." Luigi said. "But it's something that we must do! Our kingdom is at stake!"

"I realize that." Thomas said. "But everyone knows that anyone who tries going against Bowser will be killed instantly. Hence the reason I called your plan reckless."

"Well, someone has to do it." Mario said.

"How am I supposed to believe that you're really after the Crystal Stars in order to stop Bowser?" Thomas asked.

"Here." Luigi said, reaching into the rucksack and pulled out the diamond Crystal Star. Thomas was shocked.

"I…Is that one of the stars?!" he asked.

"It sure is!" Luigi said. "We found it in a cave deep underground."

"How did you guys know where to look?" Thomas asked.

"We have this book that Professor Frankly wrote." Mario said.

"Who's Professor Frankly?" Thomas asked.

"He teaches at the University of Goom in Rogueport." Mario said. "He has done extensive research on the locations of the stars based on historical documents that were buried underneath Rogueport in the old city. Unfortunately, Bowser supposedly got a hold of the documents and soon pinpointed each star's location himself. So now it's a race against time to retrieve them before he does. Even if he has one star, he could easily summon the power of the other stars as well."

"That's terrible!" Thomas said. "Have you already run into a few of Bowser's Koopa Troopas?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Luigi said. "We also ran into Lord Crump, who is the leader of the X-Nauts and is also working under Bowser. Luckily, we were able to escape just in time to lose them."

"How were you able to manage that?" Thomas asked.

"We used a few fire flowers to knock them out." Mario said. "They had no chance of avoiding them."

"That's amazing." Thomas said. "May I see that book?"

"Sure!" Mario said. "Turn to the page with the map."

Thomas turned the page and saw the map and was dumbfounded.

"So you have to travel across these large distances to get all of the stars?!" Thomas asked. "This is going to take forever!"

"We know that." Luigi said. "Do you know if there is another warp pipe around this area?"

"Unfortunately, the closest warp pipe is over a thousand miles away." Thomas said. "But there is another way."

"Really?" Mario asked. "What's that?"

"There's a cargo train that regularly passes through Petalburg during the noon hours every other day. My suggestion is to hitch a ride in one of the open cars into the desert."

"That's actually not a bad idea." Luigi said. "Considering the fact that one of the six remaining stars is located somewhere in Sarasaland!"

"You're right, Luigi." Mario said, examining the book. "It's also the closest destination to reach from here. Is the train supposed to pass through town today by any chance?"

"Yes." Thomas said. "I believe it's supposed to pass through in about an hour."

"We still have time then." Luigi said.

"My only worry is that it may not take you where you guys need to go. Honestly, I'm not too keen when it comes to train routes, but I'm pretty sure that these trains make their way into Sarasaland. My only advice is to not get caught by border security, because the Sarasalandians are very strict when it comes to their homeland security."

"Thanks for the advice." Mario said. "We're going to need as much help as we can get!"

"Here comes our food." Luigi said. "Man, am I starving!"

* * *

Mario and Luigi each ordered a super-sized portion of biscuits and gravy for breakfast and Thomas ordered a large egg omelet. After they finished their breakfast, Thomas led the brothers to the train tracks and waited for the cargo train to arrive.

"There! I see it!" Thomas said. "Hurry and jump into one of the train cars!"

"Will do!" Mario shouted as him and Luigi approached the tracks with caution. The two brothers spotted an open car and quickly jumped inside as the train continued rolling along the tracks. Looking back, they saw Thomas waving at them.

"Good luck on your journey!" he shouted.

"Thank you!" Luigi said. "Oh, and thank you for breakfast too!"

"It was my pleasure!" Thomas shouted back. "Be safe!"

Pretty soon, contact was lost altogether as the train got too far away. Mario and Luigi were now leaving the city of Petalburg, wishing that they could have stayed longer. But they had no time to waste whatsoever. Mario and Luigi sat down and looked out the doorway at the green scenery and enjoyed the cool wind.

"Well, Luigi." Mario said. "Tomorrow, all of that green scenery will be gold and the mountains will be replaced by sand dunes."

"It's so dirty in here." Luigi said. "I can't wait to sleep in real bed again."

"I know, bro." Mario said. "I know how you feel."

The brothers remained quiet for a little while, and then found themselves falling asleep as the train took them to the outskirts of the Mushroom Kingdom.

_Sarasaland here we come!_ Luigi thought. _Daisy's birthplace…_


	20. Part 1, Chapter 20

**20**

Bowser angrily paced back and forth inside the large stony basement where the princesses sat and watched from inside their cage.

"I wonder what his problem is." Peach said. "He seems rather upset.

"I don't know, Peach." Daisy said. "He's probably upset because Lord Crump hasn't contacted him yet."

"He's in trouble now!" Peach said, chuckling.

"We need to get out of here, Peach!" Daisy said. "We can't sit around like this all the time!"

"Bowser will never let us out!" Peach said. "I need to walk though. My butt is getting very sore."

"I need a shower." Daisy said. "I feel really dirty."

"QUIT YOUR COMPLAINING!" Bowser shouted from down below. "I'M TOO ANGRY TO PUT UP WITH YOUR WHINING!"

Peach and Daisy kept their mouths to avoid his wrath.

* * *

A few minutes passed before a loud chime was heard throughout the room.

"Finally! A fucking transmission!" Bowser shouted, pressing the answer button. It was Lord Crump.

"What the hell have you been up to for the past few hours?!" Bowser asked. "I've been sitting here going ape shit wondering if were still alive or not! Why are you cut and bruised up?!"

"Bowser, I'm afraid I have some bad news!" Lord Crump said. "The Mario brothers have obtained the first Crystal Star!"

"WHAT?!" Bowser shouted. "YOU LOUSY SON OF A BITCH! YOU ARE NO LONGER WORTHY OF RECEIVING MY HANDSOME REWARD! YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF!"

"But, master!" Lord Crump cried. "They beat the living shit out of me and took all of my money! They even stole my cigars!"

"THAT'S IT! I'VE HEARD ENOUGH!" Bowser scolded. "YOU ARE TO RETURN HERE TO THE DARKLANDS FOR A CRUEL AND REGRETFUL PUNISHMENT! I EXPECTED BETTER OUT OF YOU THAN LETTING SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN! I KNEW I SHOULD'VE NEVER TRUSTED YOU!"

"But, master…"

"GOODBYE!"

Bowser immediately ended the transmission and stormed around the room in frustration. The princesses were happy.

_Way to go, Mario!_ Peach thought.

_That's right, Luigi. You show him who's boss!_ Daisy thought.

* * *

Another five minutes passed by and Bowser was still very angry. Then he heard the door open. He turned around and saw Kamek running towards him.

"Bowser!" he said.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" Bowser shouted.

"Is this a bad time?" Kamek asked.

"Well, what do you think?!" Bowser said. "After hearing that the Mario brothers got away with one of the Crystal Stars, OF COURSE IT'S A BAD FUCKING TIME!"

"That's actually kind've what I wanted to talk to you about." Kamek said. "I just received word that one of our troops was able to spot them just not too long ago."

"Really?" Bowser asked. "Where are they?"

"He said that he saw them riding inside of a car on a cargo train that's headed for the kingdom of Sarasaland!" Kamek said. "That's where one of the six remaining stars is hidden according to those documents!"

"That means we need to send more of our troops there." Bowser said. "The troops we have around the pyramids probably won't be sufficient enough to take down the Mario Brothers. They would just blast right through them!"

"I think I know where this is going." Kamek said.

"Send two airships full of troops to Sarasaland." Bowser said. "We need to kill those brothers!"

"Yes, sir." Kamek replied.

Kamek left the room and Bowser regained his confidence. Failure was no longer an option. He looked up at the two princesses.

"I hope you two are happy right now," he said, "because tomorrow, Mario and Luigi will be dead!"

"That's what you think!" Daisy shouted.

"We'll see about that, smart mouth!" Bowser said. "You may want to reconsider what you've just said."

Bowser walked off and left the princesses dangling inside their cage as he took a small break. Peach looked at Daisy.

"I don't think Bowser is going to win this battle." Peach said. "Something tells me that Mario and Luigi will make it to the very end."

"Oh, I already know that's going to happen!" Daisy said. "They just need to pick up the pace a little."

"They'll get here soon enough." Peach sighed. "If only there was such a thing as a teleportation device!"

* * *

**Whoohoo! Part 1 has now officially ended! Mario and Luigi's travels are now taking them to the desert kingdom of Sarasaland, Daisy's place of birth. The question now arises: what dangers and surprises lurk as they cross the border into this strange, foreign nation? What will Bowser do this time that's different from what he tried to do earlier? Will he confront the brothers himself or sit on the sidelines and have someone else try and kill them? These and other questions will be answered in the following chapters, so don't go away:)**

**saturn95**


	21. Part 2, Chapter 1

**1**

The day continued to drag onwards and the two brothers did nothing other than stare out at the open scenery and take occasional naps as the train took them across the continent and into another realm. Mario and Luigi watched as the mountains became further and bluer as the landscape faded from dark grassy greens to light yellow sand. The brothers also discovered the hard way that it was getting warmer too. They sweat profusely under the intense glare of the desert sun and even found it difficult to cope with the shady corners of their metal cargo container. Water was becoming scarce and harder to live without, it was the only thing that the brothers did not bring with them.

It was now late afternoon. The sun was at its highest intensity and the inside of the train car was sweltering. In an effort to keep them cool, Mario and Luigi stripped down to their underwear to let their body heat escape more rapidly. Proper attire was not the first thing on their mind, the only thing they cared about was staying comfortable, so long as no one else had to look. But as they found about an hour later, it had one horrible side effect: their skin had been burnt red by ultraviolet radiation.

"Mamma mia!" Mario said. "My skin is red!"

"Ouch!" Luigi said, attempting to move his shoulders. "This will definitely help my skin darken up."

"Now we'll be set for the beach this summer!" Mario said. "Hell, it already feels like summer!"

"Don't mention it." Luigi complained. "The thought of it makes me thirsty."

"You're right, I won't mention it." Mario replied. "I need some deodorant."

As the evening progressed, the two brothers watched the sun dip below the sandy horizon creating a golden cast to the landscape. Mario and Luigi continually spotted what looked like pools of fresh water, but were dismayed that they were only mirages as the train continued cranking along across the desert. Mario took out the Diamond Star and examined for the first time since morning. He could not believe that he was holding an artifact that was over a thousand years old, but at the same time, it was right in front of him, glistening in the orange glow of the evening sun for the first time since the Shadow Queen's dominion over the entire world. It was once the most powerful force in the universe, Mario knew, but he also knew that it could potentially fall into the wrong hands. The symbol on the back was still an enigma.

Luigi was now asleep in the far corner of the car, lying there quietly and as stiff as a statue. Mario had never seen his brother sleep so soundly in his life, as he recalled past instances of night terror, insomnia, and the usual toss-and-turn ordeal. But this time, Luigi was not moving even the slightest muscle in his body. Mario smiled.

_He's probably dreaming of Daisy_. Mario thought. _If only things didn't happen the way they did back at Peach's castle_…

Mario was suddenly overcome with sadness as the thought of Peach and Daisy being tortured by Bowser continued haunting his mind. Never in his life had he been so overwhelmed with feelings of regret, pain, sacrifice, confidence, and love. Never before had he and his brother been faced with challenges that have pushed them to their very limits and made them question themselves in ways that would boost their morale. But most of all, Mario still could not believe that their destiny was to save the princesses and the world from Bowser's evil power. To him, this would change the direction of his and his brother's lives in the best of ways, ways that he could not even begin to imagine. Still, the horrible memories of the past continued to haunt Mario, like a Boo ghost inside a haunted house.

The sun was now sinking below the horizon and the sky was now beginning to get dark once again. The dry desert air was now cool and refreshing and the stars shone brightly. Mario looked up and saw the same three bright planets that were seen the night before: Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn. He started to remember the enigmatic thoughts that were popping in his head before about a possible connection between Bowser's evil plot and the heavens. He remembered the history lesson at Professor Frankly's house about the forging of the seven stars and their use of controlling the earth and heavens. Was there a similar celestial display at the time of the Shadow Queen's dark reign? Was history trying to repeat itself?

Before Mario could think about it any longer, Luigi was beginning to wake up from his slumber. Mario turned around and saw his brother looking up at him with squinted eyes.

"How long was I asleep?" Luigi asked.

"About two hours." Mario said. "Why?"

"I was just wondering if we were in Sarasaland yet." Luigi replied.

"No, I don't think so." Mario said. "We probably won't get there for another two hours or so. By then, it won't be long before we reach the first set of pyramids."

"How long before we reach the location of the second star?" Luigi asked.

"I don't know." Mario said. "All I know is that it's still a ways away. It might have to wait until later tomorrow."

"Damn!" Luigi said. "I was having the best dream too."

"I could tell." Mario said. "You wouldn't budge. What did you even dream about?"

"I don't think you'd like it." Luigi said. "It would make you angry."

"I think you've already said everything I needed to hear." Mario said.

"Good," Luigi said, "Because it involved Daisy."

_Oh great!_ Mario thought. _Here we go again!_

Luigi yawned and lay back down on the floor of the train car to fall back asleep. Mario continued starring out at the dark night landscape and felt a cold shiver run down his spine as the cool wind blasted his face. It felt very refreshing after the hot and dry wind from the afternoon hours. Mario's eyes started to slam shut as the cool breeze knocked him into a deep, relaxing sleep that he had trouble avoiding. Then, he started dreaming about Peach…


	22. Part 2, Chapter 2

**2**

The train was already about to cross the border into Sarasaland as it continued winding its way past large sand dunes and rocky formations under the clear starry skies. Everything seemed quiet and peaceful. Mario and Luigi were fast asleep, dreaming of their future lives as heroes of the Mushroom Kingdom and husbands to Peach and Daisy. But it was not long before the train suddenly came to a complete stop, forcing the brothers to wake up after the loud click of the engine being turned off. They got up and peaked around the corner and saw a couple of Bombshell Koopas pacing the train and looking inside each of the individual cars to check for freeloaders. It was obvious that they were part of Sarasaland's Border Patrol.

"What do we do now?" Luigi asked. "They're going to find us and throw us in prison!"

"Like I knew we were going to be leaving the Mushroom Kingdom for this journey!" Mario said. "If I did know that, I would've taken us to get each of us a passport."

Luigi shut his mouth after that remark, but was still troubled about getting caught by the Koopas. He listened and heard their footsteps get ever closer to their car, and it would be a matter of time before it was too late.

"Luigi!" Mario whispered. "See that trapdoor in the ceiling?"

Luigi looked up and sure enough he could see it, but it was too high. Luigi also noticed that they only way to could be opened was if someone were to push it up from below, so pulling it open would not be an option.

"There's no way we can reach it!" Luigi said. "Unless…"

"Unless what?" Mario asked.

Luigi ignored his brother and turned his attention toward a large wooden box that had been placed in the corner of the empty boxcar. It was only now that the brothers noticed it.

"Great thinking, Luigi!" Mario said. "I never thought of that before!"

"Can you help me push it over there?" Luigi asked. "This box is too heavy!"

"Yeah, of course!" Mario replied. "At least it's stable."

Mario walked over toward his brother and stood next to him behind the box.

"Ready?" Mario said. "One, two, three, PUSH!"

Slowly but surely, Mario and Luigi were able to push the box under the trap door with their amazing strength. Mario climbed on top of the box and reached for the door handle, but he himself was too short to reach it.

"Luigi, you're taller than me. Can you reach the door handle and push the door open?" Mario asked.

"I can try, but I can't guarantee success."

"Just try before the Koopas find us!"

Luigi climbed onto the box and reached for the door handle, but he too was having trouble. He was barely able to reach the handle, but he was still too short to push the trapdoor open.

"Mario, give me a boost!" Luigi said.

"Why you?" Mario asked. "I'm shorter than you!"

"Yes, but you're also heavier than me!" Luigi said.

"Fine." Mario said. "I'll help you!"

Mario stooped down and Luigi carefully climbed onto his back while Mario lifted him up to the ceiling. Luigi accidentally bonked his head as this happened, but with the extra height boost, he was able to open the latched door and push it open.

"Here, I'll climb out first." Luigi said. "I can pull you out with my long arms."

"Okay, bro." Mario said. "You might want to hurry though. I think those Bombshell Koopas are getting closer now."

"Will do."

Luigi climbed on top of the boxcar and admired the dark desert scenery around him. Looking towards the east, he saw that the sky was starting to turn blue and get lighter, making it easier to pick out the monolithic black silhouettes of the large desert pyramids in the distance. The second Crystal Star was bound to be in one of them, he knew. Still, it was truly a sight to behold.

"Hurry up, bro!" Mario called from below. "They're coming!"

"Sorry, I had to admire the scenery." Luigi said.

Mario glared at him.

"There's no time to be doing that! Hurry and pull me out of here!"

Without hesitating, Luigi extended his arms down to his brother so he could grab on. Mario grabbed Luigi's hand and Luigi was able to pull him out of the boxcar with no problems. Mario sighed.

"That was close." he said. "But we're still not safe. We have to get way from here without getting seen."

"What do you suggest we do?" Luigi asked.

"I suggest we jump off the other side and run for those palm trees in the distance." Mario said, pointing towards a large desert oasis. "We still have to worry about getting through the fence of the inner gate too, but we can climb it easily."

"Isn't the fence electrified though?" Luigi asked.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Mario said. "However, I don't think that it's waterproof either."

"Are you suggesting that we pour water onto it?" Luigi asked. "We can still get electrified that way too. I don't want a repeat of what happened when we tried peeing on an electric fence back home! That fucking hurt!"

"I'll think of something, don't worry." Mario said. "But right now, we need to get off this train!"

With that said the two brothers jumped to the left side of the train and ran away from the train tracks as fast as they could. The sand made it very difficult for them to run, but they tough enough to reach the oasis and hide behind the large palms. There was also, quite surprisingly, a small pool of cool, clean water where the brothers took handfuls at a time to quench their thirst. After that, they continued their journey into Sarasaland on foot. They could now see Sarasaland's electric fence and also the train from which they escaped as it approached a large beautiful golden door. Even the electric fence was crafted beautifully, forming intricate and complicated patterns and pictures.

"There they are, Luigi." Mario said. "The Gates of Sarasaland."

"Wow!" Luigi said. "I feel like we're looking straight at the gates of Heaven! I never knew Sarasaland was so sophisticated, besides the fact that their history is very intricate, much like the Mushroom Kingdom's."

"You can save your history knowledge for later." Mario said. "We should probably get through before anything bad happens."

"Like what?" Luigi asked.

Suddenly, as if the timing could not get any better, a loud noise was heard coming from the sky. The brothers looked up and saw two large airships zooming through the sky and losing altitude as they appeared to be landing at the entrance to Sarasaland. They were obviously sent out by none other than Bowser.

"Oh, no!" Mario said. "It looks like we have company!"

"Damn it!" Luigi shouted.

Suddenly a large explosion burst just inside of Sarasaland's entrance. The brothers looked closer and saw that the airships had bombed the train. They could also hear disturbing cries coming from the burning wreckage.

"Come on, Luigi!" Mario shouted. "Bowser is taking this way too far! We need to stop his troops!"

Without even worrying about the possible consequences of intrusion into another kingdom, the two brothers angrily took off towards the crash site to raid Bowser's additional army and help the train passengers that were in danger. There was no time to waste!

* * *

**Hey, everyone. Sorry for the long wait, but here's the second chapter of Part 2! **

**Mario and Luigi have just reached Sarasaland and escaped being chewed by Border Patrol agents! But now, Bowser's army is raiding the entrance to the desert kingdom and the brothers have just realized that they have underestimated his power. It now seems that wherever they go, Mario and Luigi always encounter some sort of danger! **

**So what will Mario and Luigi do to save hundreds of innocent lives? But more importantly, what will be the outcome of such an act of heroism? All will be revealed soon...;)**

**saturn 95**


	23. Part 2, Chapter 3

**3**

Mario and Luigi ran like crazy towards the burning train and the people that were inside. Most of the screams that they heard were those of humans and some Toad people. To the brothers' frustration, the airships were already flying away from the crime scene.

"They must've thought that we were on that train!" Mario said.

"I already guessed." Luigi said. "But how in the world were they able to figure out where we were?"

"It doesn't matter right now!" Mario replied. "Let's go rescue some people!"

The brothers approached the burning wreckage and could not believe how hot it was. To them, it was as if a wave of pure fire had hit them, as if created by some invisible flamethrower. They watched as the flames roared high above the crash site in monstrous towers of orange fury. They could only imagine how it felt inside the wreck. The people inside continued to scream.

"IT'S ALRIGHT! WE'RE HERE TO SAVE YOU!" Mario called to the people inside. "EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE ALRIGHT!"

"Help us, young strangers!" Someone from inside called. "We need to get to out of here before this fire burns us to death!"

Mario and Luigi looked at each other with panicked looks. Mario tried opening the passenger car door, but it would not budge. The opening mechanism was obviously not operational.

"Luigi, wait here while I find something to bash this door open!" Mario said. "It's important that you keep these people company."

"I can't just stand here!" Luigi said. "I have to help these people too! We need to put out this fire somehow!"

"With what?!" Mario asked. "There's isn't any water near here!"

"What about the water in that oasis back there?" Luigi asked.

"We don't have anything to carry the water with!" Mario shouted. "Besides, we could only carry a little at a time!"

"FOR GOD'S SAKE HELP US!" one of the people inside the train yelled. "THE FLAMES ARE GETTING TOO HOT!"

Wasting no more time, the brothers hurried to the ruined cargo loads to search for anything that might be useful. They went inside the first cargo car and saw tons of toppled boxes with their contents scattered all over. There were many goods from different parts of the world like imported spices and fabrics.

"Look at all of this stuff." Luigi said.

"Shut up and find something we can use to open that door!" Mario yelled. "We need something hard and heavy to bash the glass out."

"Well, so far I don't see anything!" Luigi complained.

"Well, keep looking! There are many lives in danger right now!" Mario yelled back. "We can't waste any more time!"

"I'm trying!" Luigi cried.

Mario ignored him while he continued to search for a heavy object. He already considered using one of the boxes themselves, but they were all far too heavy to lift even with their contents emptied out. Not only that, but the boxes were made of wood and wood only make the flames bigger and brighter.

Luigi was searching through the boxes when he came across a weird package. He opened it and was surprised to see that there were more fire flowers inside. He looked again and saw that there were also similar looking flowers mixed in, however they were blue instead of red.

_Did Professor Frankly mention something about ice flowers? Why would these be here?_ Luigi thought as he examined the blue flower. _Now that I think about it, these might be the key to rescuing all of those people! I need to tell Mario!_

"Mario! Come over here! Quick!" Luigi shouted.

"What is it, Luigi?!" Mario said. "Did you find something heavy?"

"No, but I found something even better!" Luigi said, holding out the ice flower for his brother to see. Mario could not help but smile at Luigi.

"Wow! What are the odds?" Mario said.

"I have no idea why these would be on train into Sarasaland." Luigi said. "But I think we can use these to put out the flames. It would give us a better chance of saving more people."

"You're absolutely right." Mario said. "Let's hurry back to the people!"

The brothers took as many flowers as they could and headed back to the passenger car, where people were still screaming for their lives. They saw the brothers coming and immediately cried for their help.

"Stand back, everyone!" Mario shouted to the passengers. "We're going to save you!"

Mario turned his head to Luigi, who had already turned toward him.

"Are you ready to experiment with ice?" Mario asked.

"Yes." Luigi said. "Let's do it!"

The brothers rubbed the sapphire-blue flowers into the palm of their hands and instantly felt a cold chill running down each of their spines. The people watched in amazement as the brothers' clothes changed colors. Mario's coveralls were now red and Luigi's were green. Both of their shirts were now blue and their hands felt like cold icicles. Having already gained a hold of the fire flower's powers, the brothers had no trouble learning how to use the ice flowers. One after another, the brothers pummeled the train with snowballs to reduce the flames. The people inside were starting to cheer as they finally started to feel some relief from the nasty heat inside.

"The power is starting to wear off!" Luigi shouted.

"Here!" Mario said. "Take another ice flower!"

When their powers were replenished, the brothers continued putting out the flames with snowballs until the flames were gone. Mario and Luigi were exhausted and the people who were trapped were now happy. Mario discovered that the door was able to be opened by simply pulling it open. The people inside the train started scrambling out to safety.

"Thank you, young strangers!" said another human. "We would've never survived if weren't for you!"

"The pleasure's all ours!" Mario said. "I'm glad that no one was seriously hurt!"

"Wait a second, Mario!" Luigi said, pointing back over to the train. "Someone is bringing out an unconscious victim!"

The brothers turned around and saw a Toad carry out a woman wearing a red dress who also had dark brown hair and light skin. She was also wearing a golden bracelet and golden earrings, along with a pair of black high heels. Mario studied the innocent victim and suddenly had a flashback to his past. He had seen this woman before. In fact, she used to be his girlfriend before he met Peach.

"Pauline?" Mario said out loud.

"Do you know her?" Luigi said, confused. "How come I haven't seen her before?"

Mario ignored Luigi and ran over to the Toad carrying the woman's fragile and limp body. He set her on the ground and began to cry.

* * *

**It looks like the plot is thickening now. Another part of Mario's past is starting to be revealed, a past that Luigi has been unaware of until this point. Can Mario save Pauline before it's too late, or is it already too late? What exactly happened that caused Mario and Pauline to grow away from each other? How will Luigi react? Find out in the upcoming chapters. Until then, feel free to come up with your own theories;)**

**saturn95**


	24. Part 2, Chapter 4

**4**

Mario kneeled down next to Pauline's body and wept. Luigi walked over and was not able to understand why he would cry over a woman that he had never seen before. If Mario knew about her, how come he did not? Was he keeping secrets from him? If so, he did not want to ponder over it at the moment; he could not stand to see his brother cry. Luigi kneeled beside him and patted him on the back to ease the pain.

"Why did she have to go like this?" Mario bawled.

"It was Bowser's fault." Luigi said. "It wasn't our fault."

"If only I was able to fix our relationship!" Mario said.

"You two were in a relationship?!" Luigi asked.

Mario looked up at his brother and felt more tears running down his face. He had to tell Luigi the truth. There were no more secrets to be kept.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?!"

"Luigi, if you could understand the pain that I have!" Mario said. "I never told you because I was afraid that you would lose you self-esteem."

"Lose my self-esteem?!" Luigi said. "What on earth are you talking about?! I'm your brother! We're in this together! At least I thought…"

"I'm sorry I kept this a secret from you!" Mario cried. "I should've told you about it. Don't worry! Nothing crazy ever happened between us."

"Then why are you two apart from each other?" Luigi asked.

"I wish I could tell you, but it's too difficult to explain." Mario said. "All I can say is that we got into a bad argument."

Everyone else who was on the train gathered around the two brothers and Pauline's body with puzzled expressions.

"Are you two Mario and Luigi?" someone from the crowd asked.

Mario and Luigi stood up and introduced themselves in front of everyone and stirred up a frenzy of questions. It felt like they were being bombarded by the paparazzi.

"What are you two doing here?"

"What are you running from?"

"Were you guys the ones who destroyed your house?"

"What did you do to the princesses?"

"Are you two evil or good?"

"EVERYONE BE QUIET!" Luigi shouted.

Everyone immediately shut up and listened to the brothers as they explained themselves to the now skeptical crowd. They told them everything that has happened in the last three days right up to where they were standing now. They even told the crowd as to what they planning on doing to rescue the princesses and the world from Bowser's seductive and evil plan. The crowd, who was skeptical, now seemed more at ease and welcomed the two brothers in a whole different light than before.

"So you two were able to find the Diamond Star, one of the seven Crystal Stars used by the Shadow Queen a thousand years ago?" someone else questioned. "Can you show us the Diamond Star?"

Mario pulled out the star and the whole crowd was awestruck.

"It really is them!" someone else shouted. "They are the ones who will fulfill the prophecy!" The whole crowd started cheering.

Suddenly, Pauline started coughing as she slowly opened her eyes as she regained consciousness.

"She's alive!" the Toad person said.

Pauline looked up and saw the brothers standing over them. She saw Mario's face and was surprised to see him.

"Mario, is that you?" she asked in a weak tone.

"Yes, it's me." Mario replied.

"You…you guys saved my life." Pauline said. "Thank you."

Pauline stood up and embraced Mario for the first time in years and Mario could not help but embrace her as well. He did, however, feel uncomfortable seeing Pauline again. He still loved Peach, but he was afraid that Pauline would try to change his mind. His mind was already trying to steer him clear of Peach, but his heart was telling him to stay with Peach. Pauline let go of Mario and saw Luigi standing behind Mario.

"You must be Mario's brother." Pauline said.

"I am." Luigi said, surprised that she was able to get it right away.

"Mario has told me a lot about you." Pauline replied. "I heard that you were quite the smart one."

"Well, I…" Luigi said. "…I guess you could say that."

Pauline laughed, and then coughed. Luigi smiled at his brother.

"So you told her about me, but you didn't tell me about her?"

"Well…" Mario said. "It's a long story."

"I see." Luigi replied.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" said another person in the crowd. "Let's take you guys to the capital to meet the king! He'll be glad to see you guys!"

"Really?" Mario asked.

"Of course! He's been reading about you guys and watching you two on the news for the past three days. He's worried that something bad has happened to you guys."

"Well, a lot of things have happened in the past three days that were bad." Luigi said. "But we survived."

"What exactly happened to you guys?" Pauline asked.

"We'll explain later." Mario said. "Here, take this green mushroom. It will make you feel better."

Pauline took the mushroom and examined it.

"Are you sure this isn't a poisonous mushroom?" she asked.

"I'm positive." Mario said. "It's perfectly harmless."

"Well, if you say so." she said, eating the mushroom.

"Come on! Let's go!" said the Toad person.

The brothers and Pauline followed the crowd down the road to the king's castle, which, the brothers heard, was not far from one of the many small towns that dot the Sarasalandian desert. Mario and Luigi were relieved that they were not going to be punished for entering the kingdom without a passport. As for Pauline, she could not seem to keep her eyes off of Luigi. He was quick to notice this and begin to feel a little uncomfortable.

_Now I think I know the reason why Mario kept Pauline away from me!_ Luigi thought. _She thinks I'm hot! I wish Daisy was here to keep my mind off of this, because this is starting to make me nervous…why me?_

* * *

**Pauline seems to be keeping a close eye on Luigi for some reason...I wonder what that could be? :P**

**Anyway, it's a relief that Pauline is still alive and that her and Mario seem to have no hard feelings for each other. But already, it seems that she is an obstacle standing in both Mario's and Luigi's paths that could strain, if not destroy, their relationships with Peach and Daisy. Does this mean she won't be able to help the brothers on their quest? Or will she surprise both of them and help them in ways they would never be able to imagine? At this point, it's still anyone's guess. After all, she hasn't really said much to either of the brothers, nor has she discovered what Mario and Luigi are trying to accomplish yet...we shall see what lies ahead in the chapters to come. ) **

**saturn95**


	25. Part 2, Chapter 5

**5**

Mario and Luigi looked around them at the desolate scenery of the desert as it revealed itself in the early morning light of the sun. The sand dunes had a bright gold cast to them and the distant pyramids that stood around the brothers loomed majestically, their golden tips shining brilliantly in the sunlight like bright stars. Still, Pauline remained silent as she followed the brothers with the crowd of people to the king's castle, which stood along the border of the Birabuto and Chai provinces of Sarasaland. She was relieved to see Mario again, but at the same time she found it difficult to not focus on Luigi. There was something about him that she found appealing, but she did not know what that was. Luigi had been keeping an eye on the mysterious Pauline for about an hour and could not help but think that she was not only attracted to him…but REALLY attracted to him. Nonetheless, his mind was still thinking about Daisy.

As for Mario, Peach was obviously on his mind, but he too noticed Pauline's strange attraction to Luigi as he kept glancing back at her along the path to the castle. It was starting to make him suspicious of her possible intentions, and Luigi's possible reaction to them. He still did not trust his brother as much as he should, even though he told him that he trusted him during their underground cave expedition back in the Mushroom Kingdom. Despite what he had told Luigi in the past, Mario was afraid that Luigi might fall into another 'sex trap'. He was also afraid that, in doing so, Luigi would get Pauline impregnated and ruin his relationship with Daisy for good.

_Just take it easy, Mario!_ Mario thought to himself, as the clash between good and evil thoughts rocked his brain with ever increasing intensity:

_**Good: **Why the hell must you be worried about Luigi so much?! Remember, he's grown up now, and so are you…at least that's how you should be. _

_**Evil: **Have you ever considered that maybe it wasn't Luigi's idea to get laid by Daisy? You know, Daisy does have a huge crush on him! It's a shame that Peach couldn't do the same for you._

_**Good: **Stop thinking about it and getting jealous of him because of it! There's no reason for you to not trust your brother because he lost his virginity!_

_**Evil:** Is that so? If you think you can get by like that, then you must be a real pussy!_

_**Good: **Shut up, you unsavory little runt! Luigi's your brother! He would never try to hurt you or make you feel inferior to him like that. The only reason you feel that way is because you are jealous. Last time I checked, being jealous was considered as immature._

_**Evil:** Why don't you make me shut up! Oh, wait. That's right! YOU CAN'T!_

"Mario. Are you alright? It looks like you have a headache." Pauline said.

Surprised, Mario glanced over and saw Pauline looking at him with concern. She was actually talking to him.

"No…No, everything's fine." Mario said.

"Is there something you want to talk about?" Pauline asked. "Is it about our separation?"

"No. Not right now." Mario said. "There's too much on my mind right now."

"Are you sure?" Pauline asked.

"Yeah." Mario replied. "I'll tell you later though."

"Okay." Pauline said. "By the way, I can't thank you and your brother enough for saving my life. If weren't for you guys, I'd be a pile of ashes inside my own bony carcass."

"I'm glad you're still alive, too!" Mario said. "It really broke my heart that I acted rude to you when we went our separate ways."

"It broke mine too!" Pauline said. "Why did you do that?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer that." Mario said. "It's rather complicated."

"What is?" Luigi asked, evidently eavesdropping on the whole conversation.

"Nothing." Mario said. "I was just talking bullshit."

Pauline glared at him with renewed anger. Mario kept his mouth shut after that, fearing he might get into another argument with her, like the one they had right before they broke apart. Luigi still had no idea what happened between the two former love birds, but he somehow figured that he would eventually know the answer.

In the meantime, the rest of the crowd was walking ahead of them as they made their way down a large sandy hill and into a small suburban-type town. Most of the people in the small town were either humans or Toad people from the Mushroom Kingdom, with a few exceptions here and their. As they reached the central plaza, Mario and Luigi looked up at all the large buildings and saw giant posters and billboards of a familiar-looking little girl with the phrase "_HAVE YOU SEEN OUR PRINCESS?_" printed below the picture. It was none other than Daisy as a baby.

"Those posters have been up there for almost two decades." one of the humans in the crowd said. "Back in the day, when Bowser took over our kingdom, his forces drove much of our population away, including princess Daisy when she was just born. Luckily, your king was able to take her in and raise her after our king had passed away. We are very sorry to hear that he is dead."

"I know." Mario said. "The Mushroom Kingdom has been going down for the past three days because of that. Bowser has already done some seriously damage to our capital city. Now he has both princess Peach and princess Daisy as hostages in his evil kingdom."

"We saw it in our newspapers." said one of the Toads in the crowd. "It was also rumored the other day that you two were going to try and save the princesses. Is that true?"

"Well, of course!" Mario said. "We can't just let them suffer! We have to be proactive about getting them back safely."

"That's very good to hear!" said the Toad person. "I've never known of anyone that would risk their lives for the sake of their own kingdom like that! That's why guys were mentioned in the Book of Prophecies. By the way, my name is Drake."

Pauline was silent the entire time, looking away from Mario as she heard the term 'saving the princesses'. She was upset with Mario for not acknowledging his brother on the details regarding their former relationship. As for Luigi, Pauline's attention on him was starting to ease, though it still made him uncomfortable.

"We're almost to the king's castle." Drake said. "It is just straight ahead on the top of the giant sand dune just outside this town."

"What's the name of this town?" Luigi asked.

"It's called Birachai." Drake said. "It's one of two border towns that lie along the Birabuto and Chai provinces."

"I'm guessing that the other town is called Chabuto." Mario said. "Am I right?"

"Close, actually." Drake said. "It's called Butochai."

As the crowd made its way through the town's lovely central plaza, other people were quick to spot the two brothers and cheer for them. Mario and Luigi were aware of this and for the first time in years, they felt that they could accomplish anything that their hearts could desire. It truly felt as though the weight of the world had been lifted from their shoulders.

* * *

**Ouch! There is definitely still some tension between Mario and Pauline. It appears that Pauline doesn't like how Mario refered to their conversation as 'talking about bullshit' when she was trying to make things better between them. As a result, their rivalry seems to be kicking in once again. At the same time, Luigi still seems bothered by Pauline's level of 'appreciation' for him. Could this cause problems later on?**

**The names of the two border towns I made up, using parts of the names Birabuto and Chai and making them into new names. **

**Let's see what happens as the day progresses...when I release the next chapter. It shouldn't be a long wait. See ya! :)**

**saturn95**


	26. Part 2, Chapter 6

**6**

The brothers followed the crowd of people up the large hill that overlooked the small town and up to the castle's front door. Behind the castle was the thick forest of the Chai Province that contrasted greatly with the vast deserts of the Birabuto Province. In fact, the brothers were in the Chai Province and the town of Birachai at the bottom of the hill was part of the Birabuto Province! It was enough to confuse any newcomers to Sarasaland as much as a Rubik's Cube. Still, Mario and Luigi somehow knew they had other, more important mysteries to solve during their long adventure, though they never anticipated what they might be. Nonetheless, they simply went with the flow of the crowd as Drake activated the castle's door bell. Pauline remained silent and angry at Mario for what happened just a few minutes ago. Luigi was not convinced by Mario's poor explanation for his harsh relationship with her; he knew that there was more to story. Luigi turned his attention to the castle door, where a pair of human eyes was looking though a narrow slit right at him and the rest of the crowd.

"Who comes near the castle?" said the man behind the door. "He who disturbs the king will be thrown out."

"It is I, Drake, servant to the king." Drake replied. "I have come with a huge crowd of people who have just survived a horrific train crash that was triggered by the evil Bowser of the Darklands. He was trying to kill the two people who managed to save these individuals."

"And who might these two heroes be?" the man behind the door asked.

"Their names are Mario and Luigi." Drake said. "They come from our neighboring kingdom. They are the heroes mentioned in the Book of Prophecies."

"Well, why didn't you say so?!" said the mysterious man. "Enter as you wish."

"Thank you." Drake replied.

The giant castle doors opened into a large hall that somewhat resembled the main hall of King Toadstool's Castle. The floors had the same black and white checker design and there was a red carpet that marked the main walkway. The most prominent difference was that the main hall was also a throne room, something that Toadstool's castle lacked. There were guards lining the red carpet, all of which were wearing bright metallic armor. At the end of the walkway was a staircase that led up to the large gold-plated throne where the king of Sarasaland himself was sitting.

"Well, after you." Drake said, motioning for Mario and Luigi to lead the way. Pauline stayed in the back of the crowd, still angry at Mario.

The brothers slowly made their way up the red carpet to the king's throne, where the king greeted them with a smile.

"Welcome to our kingdom!" the king said. "You two must be Mario and Luigi?"

"Yes, your highness." Mario said.

"Please, just call me King Richard." the king said. "No need for addressing me properly at the moment."

"It's truly an honor to meet you." Luigi said.

"It's a great honor to meet you guys!" Richard said. "You two are the heroes mentioned in the Prophecy if I'm not mistaken."

"That's what everybody's been telling us." Mario said.

"Do you not believe it?" the king asked.

"Yes, of course." Luigi said. "But we still can't seem to go anywhere without Bowser and his forces getting in the way."

"That's part of your journey." the king said. "You must face the evil in order to defeat it. There's just no other way one can neutralize a world nuisance if they don't face it themselves."

"We understand that clearly." Luigi said. "But may I ask you a question?"

"Why, of course!" King Richard said. "What would you like to know?"

"Well, we know that King Toadstool once said that he saw us as future heroes of the Mushroom Kingdom and the rest of the world. Did he know about the prophecy as well?"

"Of course he did!" Richard said. "Every leader in the world knew about the prophecy! Why else do you think Bowser tried wiping out the Mushroom Kingdom over a decade ago? He did it for a reason, and that reason was to ensure that you two would never grow up and defeat him."

Mario and Luigi stood there in silence.

"It all makes sense now!" Mario said. "He's been after us ever since we were infants! He must've known from the very moment me and Luigi outsmarted him that one time with the help of those Yoshies that we were the ones that would be destined to fulfill the prophecy. That's also the reason why he's trying so hard to kill us now."

"Indeed." Richard said. "I cannot stress this enough. You must do whatever you can to save your kingdom as well as this kingdom from Bowser and his evil intentions. He cannot continue to wage this kind of destruction against us anymore! You have to save Princess Peach and Princess Daisy! The whole world is counting on you now."

"So the whole world knows about us?" Luigi asked.

"Yes, and they believe you two are the only ones who can stop Bowser once and for all." said the king. "You've already proven that this morning. I cannot thank you enough for you two have done to save hundreds of innocent civilians from burning to death in that horrific train wreckage! A million times thank you!"

The whole crowd inside the castle erupted into an uproar of applause and cheering. Mario and Luigi were lost for words.

"We couldn't be any happier ourselves!" Mario said. "We're glad that we were there to help out and save some of your people."

"I think you guys deserve a reward." said the king. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden power star and handed it to the brothers.

"This will definitely come in handy!" Luigi said. "Thank you so much!"

"My pleasure." said the king. "I think you best be on your way now."

"Wait!" Mario said. "There's one more thing we should probably tell you before we leave! It's important."

"Alright." said King Richard. "Enlighten me."

"Are you aware of any details relating to Bowser's evil plan?" Mario asked.

"Why, no." King Richard said. "Why do you ask?"

Mario reached into the rucksack on his back and pulled out the Diamond Crystal Star. The king's jaw dropped at the sight of it.

"What is that?!" the king said in a ghastly tone.

"This is one of the Seven Crystal Stars that the Shadow Queen forged herself in order to take over the world over a thousand years ago." Mario said. "Me and my brother have so far learned that Bowser plans on using these stars for that very same purpose, and that is to take over the world and the universe."

Mario then took out the book from the rucksack.

"According to this book, one of the stars is buried beneath the pyramids here in Sarasaland. Is there any way we can access the archeological digs to try and retrieve it before Bowser's evil forces get to it?"

"Yes, there is." said the king. "All you have to do is follow the road leading to the pyramids and you'll be there. There's no need for any special passes or permits. They're only useful for creating and starting new dig sites, which I'm sure you don't have the time to do. My advice is to watch out for any of Bowser's forces while you're there. Whatever you do, do not let the stars get into the wrong hands! It is crucial that you two take possession of the Crystal Stars and keep them out of Bowser's grasp! Don't let that happen, okay?"

"We won't, sir." Luigi said. "We'll guard them with our own lives."

"That's right! You can count on us!" Mario said.

"Excellent!" said the king. "Good luck on the rest of your journey! You're going to need all the help you can get! I'll be sure to alert the other ally kingdoms of your enterprise so that their forces will help you along the way!"

"Will do." Mario said. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome!" King Richard said. "Good luck!"

As the two brothers said their goodbyes to the king and the people that they saved from the train wreck, they realized that Pauline had disappeared. As they exited the castle, Mario and Luigi were quick to spot her halfway down the hill crossing the border back into the sandy Birabuto province and venturing into the small town of Birachai. Mario started running after her and Luigi followed as the sir outside became warm under the rising desert sun.

* * *

**Hey, everyone! Sorry the unusually long wait. It's been such an eventful week for me that I've been unable to reach the computer. But finally, I've been able to sit down and write again...**

**The brothers have met the king of Sarasaland and have recieved much needed advice and a valuable golden power star as a reward for their incredible act of heroism. All they need to do now is get to the pyramids before Bowser's forces get to them. But what is wrong with Pauline? Why is she so upset? The answer will be revealed in the next two or three chapters, so keep your eyes open for any updates. Hopefully, I'll be able to update at a quicker pace and not get sidetracked by homework and school. But until then, I'll catch all of you later:)**

**saturn95**


	27. Part 2, Chapter 7

**7**

"Pauline! Wait up!" Mario shouted. "What's wrong?!"

"Leave me alone, Mario!" Pauline shouted. "I have to think!"

"About what?!"

"Nothing that would interest you!"

Luigi looked at his brother as they ran down the hill and back across the border into the Birabuto Province. After making it back into the town of Birachai, the brothers were exhausted and were unable to catch up to Pauline. It was no use trying to chase her around town, and the brothers were ready to collapse from exhaustion. They watched as she took off down one of the branching avenues and disappeared behind a nearby building.

"What the hell did you do to make her upset?!" Luigi asked.

"It's very hard to explain." Mario said. "I don't want to talk about it right now."

"You know, I can tell when you're guilty of something." Luigi said. "You make it very obvious. Did you get lucky with her or something?"

"No!" Mario said. "It has nothing to do with that?"

"Did you physically hurt her?" Luigi asked.

"FOR GOD'S SAKE, LUIGI! NO!" Mario shouted.

"Did you cheat on her?"

"OKAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? ENOUGH! DON'T EVEN TRY ASKING ME AGAIN! I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU IF YOU KEEP ASKING ME ABOUT IT!"

"Will you tell me later then?" Luigi asked. "I won't bug you for the rest of the day."

"Fine. I'll tell you later." Mario said. "Just don't bring it up again, okay?"

"If you say so." Luigi replied. "But until you explain yourself, I'm going to assume that you're the reason why you and Pauline grew away from each other."

Mario said nothing.

"Okay, fine. I'll tell you now." he suddenly said. "It was my fault."

"Really?" Luigi asked, surprised over the fact he was right. "What did you do?"

"Well, it all started around three years ago when we were sixteen. I met Pauline just after she came up to me and asked me to go on a date with her. This was near King Toadstool's new castle when it was still under construction."

"She asked _you_?" Luigi asked. "Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

"That's beside the point." Mario said. "Anyway, as soon as she asked me to go out with her, a giant ape came and took her away from me and climbed to the top of a building that was still under construction."

"Did he have name?" Luigi asked.

"Yeah, but I can't remember it." Mario said. "He did go by nickname. I think it was DK. Anyway, I followed Pauline's cries and ran up the stairs and jumped onto the part of the building that wasn't finished. The next thing I knew, I was climbing ladders and jumping over barrels that were thrown at me, across steel beams to rescue her. After I reached the top, I was able to trap the giant ape and take Pauline back to safety.

"What happened afterwards?" Luigi asked. "Did you two kiss?"

"Strangely, I didn't see her after that incident." Mario replied. "She did tell me to keep in touch, but when I tried looking for her she was nowhere to be found. Then I met Peach soon after and just forgot about her."

"So you just gave up?" Luigi asked. "Why?"

"I don't know." Mario said. "But I simply don't feel the same love for Pauline as I do Peach. Don't get me wrong, I thought Pauline was very attractive, but I just didn't have any deep feelings for her."

"That's too bad." Luigi said. "I hate to say it, but it seems to me that you were the only guy that she ever had feelings for. You may have ruined her life for not paying attention to her. For all we know, it might've been the difference between a good and happy life and a life not worth living. You should talk to her."

"I would if I knew where she was at." Mario said. "She's gone now."

"Well, look on the bright side." Luigi said. "At least she never suffered through the difficulties we endured throughout our lives."

"Yeah." Mario said. "But I can't help but feel guilty for not being there for her."

"What are you talking about?!" Luigi said. "You saved her from certain death _twice_. She couldn't be any more thankful. At least, that's what I think."

"I guess you're right." Mario said. "I may have been the only guy she ever had feelings for. How could I be so stupid to let her go like that?"

"It wasn't you fault." Luigi said. "Everything happens for a reason. Don't let the past drag you down. Let the future pull you up. It's the only way we can save our kingdom and even the whole world from Bowser. It's our destiny. I'm sure you and Pauline can work out your differences. Just give it some time. In the meantime, let's focus on other things so you can take your mind of it."

Mario looked up at his brother and smiled.

"Let's grab some lunch." he said. "I'm starving."

"It's getting rather hot out here." Luigi said. "Why did we even choose to wear _coveralls_? Don't they only wear those in car repair shops?"

"In the _parallel world _they do." Mario said.

"We need another wardrobe change." Luigi said.

"I know that!" Mario said. "Geez, you sound like a woman sometimes!"

Luigi glared at his brother.

"When do you think we should head towards the pyramids to hunt for the second star?" Luigi asked. "I think we should go as soon as we can."

"Let's wait until nightfall." Mario said. "It will be cooler. Plus, Bowser's troops will have a harder time spotting us."

"That's true." Luigi said. "Although I can't help but think that time is working against us somehow…"

"Don't worry Luigi." Mario said. "We can do this. I know we can. We've found one star, we can find six more."

The brothers reached the central plaza of Birachai with the giant water fountain and decided to relax for a little and cool themselves down in the refreshing mist. The sun was shining bright and hot above the desert as the dreadful noon heat wave started kicking in. The tips of the desert pyramids were shining like giant mirrors, reflecting the sunlight with the same intensity and brightness. Mario and Luigi noticed that most of the town's residents started heading indoors to escape the heat, so they decided to do the same as they found the nearest restaurant they could get to.

* * *

**Hey! I apologize for such a long wait. I have been extra busy on schoolwork, but I'm happy to say that I am finally finished with all of it. I should be updating the story more frequently now.**

**Mario finally reveals the story behind him and Pauline's troubled relationship. I'm sure most of you were quick to notice that it relates to the events of Donkey Kong, the first game that Mario was ever featured in (who would've guessed?). However, it is still unclear why Mario would keep these events a secret from his brother. Was it for his own protection or was it because of greed and selfishness?**

**Also, there is a reference to our world as a connected 'parallel world' to the Mushroom world. I was looking at Mario Wiki and found that both worlds are connected by a pipe that transports beings back and forth between the two. I thought it was a good idea to implement it into the story, after all how else will Luigi save Mario in Antarctica later on in 'Mario is Missing!'(anyone remember that game?)?**

**I do apologize for not making this chapter action-packed. I promise that there will be more action soon:) However, as usual, I will see you guys in the next chapter. I'll be looking forward to it ) **

**saturn95**


	28. Part 2, Chapter 8

**8**

Princess Peach and Princess Daisy found were pacing around the inside the cage just to get some blood flowing through their bodies. Their movement has been restricted for the past three and a half days and the only thing that they have done was sit and eat and play tick-tack-toe with their fingernails, which were desperate need of cleaning. They were depressed over the fact that the train Mario and Luigi were riding in had been blown up by Bowser's airships. It was uncertain if they were still alive.

"I hope they made it out safe!" Peach said.

"I couldn't agree more." Daisy said. "I hate to say it, but I think they weren't so lucky this time."

"How could you say such a thing?!" Peach said. "That's not very optimistic at all!"

"There's a good chance that they were probably sleeping and had no way to escape." Daisy said. "However, I believe that there's a chance that they were awake just in time to escape the disaster."

"I choose to believe the latter scenario!" Peach said. "You should too!"

"Don't worry, Peach." Daisy said. "I haven't given up hope."

Suddenly, the giant door opened and Bowser was seen storming into the room with Lord Crump being dragged by the ear with his hideous claws. He was obviously not happy at all with his job performance. The princesses simply watched the events unfold.

"THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL THAT SOMEONE LIKE YOU COULD FAIL SOMEONE LIKE ME!" Bowser shouted. "WHY DID YOU EVEN JOIN MY REBELLION IF YOU'RE NOT AS PERFECT AS YOU SAID YOU WERE IN YOUR RESUME?!"

"But, sir! It wasn't my fault!" Lord Crump cried. "It's those damn brothers! I would've been able to get away with the star had it not been for their tremendous athletic abilities! I wasn't able to outrun them!"

"YOU MAKE ME SICK!" Bowser said, taking a deep breath. Then, he unleashed a deadly wind of fire that set Lord Crump aflame and screaming in agony for his very life. The princesses could only watch in horror. Both of them covered their eyes to hide the horrible sight before them. The fiery Crump made a mad, screaming dash to a nearby fire hydrant and sprayed the cold fluid all over him to put the flames out. He was covered with third-degree burns.

"PLEASE, I BEG OF YOU! DON'T BURN ME AGAIN!" Lord Crump shouted.

"LET THIS BE A LESSON TO YOU, CHUMP!" Bowser said. "NEVER FAIL ME AGAIN! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?! YOU'RE LUCKY I DIDN'T KILL YOU TODAY."

"Yes, I understand, master. OW!" Lord Crump. "Forgive me."

"Just get out of here!" Bowser said. "Go on, I have business to attend to."

"Yes, master." Lord Crump replied as he left the room.

Bowser looked up at the two princesses, who were still horrified by what had just happened. Bowser chuckled.

"That, princesses, is what happens when no one listens to me or doesn't follow my orders." Bowser said. "Is that a fair enough warning?!"

"I…I guess." Peach said. "It scares me!"

"Don't be scared princess!" Bowser said. "You have nothing to be afraid of."

"We're afraid of you!" Daisy said. "Stop threatening and torturing us with your violent methods of punishment to your subjects!"

"You might as well get used to it then." Bowser said. "You're gonna be here for a while, you know."

"Unfortunately…" Peach uttered.

"What was that?!" Bowser said.

"Nothing, I didn't say anything!" Peach said.

Suddenly, Kamek flew into the room on his broomstick and rushed towards Bowser.

"Bowser, turn the TV on, quick!" Kamek said. "This is important!"

"Why?! I'm not in the mood for watching television!" Bowser said.

"But it's important! It's about the Mario brothers!"

"WHAT?!"

Bowser quickly turned the giant monitor to television mode and flipped to the channel Kamek told him to turn to. It was a Sarasalandian channel.

"_Our top story at this hour is about the two young men that were reported missing three days ago in the event of Bowser's unexpected appearance to the funeral of King Toadstool, the famed ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom. It turns out that nineteen-year-old Mario Mario and his identical brother, nineteen-year-old Luigi Mario, are still alive! There had been rumors of their whereabouts coming from the town of Petalburg and their journey to save the missing princesses Peach and Daisy since the day before. Today, the rumors were confirmed after the two brothers were able to rescue a train full of innocent civilians that were on their way into the kingdom._

"_After their heroic deed, the Mario brothers met up with King Richard and revealed their epic adventure to the public and received a golden power star as a reward for their rescue operation. The brothers also revealed the details surrounding Bowser's newest evil plan on taking over the world using the seven Crystals Stars used by the dreaded Shadow Queen almost a millennium ago. They also revealed that they plan on stopping this evil uprising by getting a hold of the stars before Bowser, a deed that directly relates to a strange and encouraging oracle from the mysterious Book of Prophecies, a work that was created by Mushroom Kingdom priests centuries ago that foretold every single major historical event since their time. Could Mario and Luigi be the two heroes mentioned in the Book of Prophecies? With one star found so far and six to go, it looks like they might be the heroes that the world has been looking for._

"_In response to these new revelations, Sarasaland, the Mushroom Kingdom, and other allies have been on high alert for any of Bowser's multiple Koopa armies. However, with the Mushroom Kingdom's capital burnt and raided upon, it will be hard for Mushroom Kingdomers to seek refuge from harsh economic plunges since the death of their king and the disappearance of Princess Peach and Princess Daisy. If the Mushroom Kingdom's economy collapses, it will most certainly cause a chain reaction to take place and other kingdoms will fall behind it._

"_The whole world is now in a state of panic as stocks plunge to all-time lows, and their only hope rests on these two brothers, the future heroes of the world._"

Bowser switched the television off and became furious.

"THOSE DAMNED BROTHERS!" Bowser shouted, throwing the remote onto the ground. "THEY JUST DON'T SEEM TO DIE!"

"Take it easy, master." Kamek said. "I'm sure there's a way we can corner them while they're still wandering about."

"WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE THEY ARE NOW!" Bowser shouted.

Suddenly, Lord Crump entered the room again.

"What is it this time?!" Bowser said.

"Sir, I just received information from one of our secret soldiers that the Mario brothers in the town of Birachai in Sarasaland!" Lord Crump said. "It's a small border town along the Chai and Birabuto provinces."

"Excellent work!" Bowser said. "You now have my forgiveness! I'll order some of my troops to storm the town, but in the meantime why don't we get you to one of our doctors?"

"That would be good, master," Lord Crump said, "although, I'm still mad at you for what you did to me."

"I'm so sorry about that." Bowser said, almost as if he was never angry in the first place. "I was having one of my insane episodes."

"Well, let's get to work!" Kamek said.

The three goons walked out of the room. The princesses could only imagine why Bowser would have such strange and bizarre behavior. The only thing they could do was keep on pacing in the limited space they had, like a wild animal locked inside a zoo. There was no way out, and they knew it... If only Mario and Luigi would rescue them...


	29. Part 2, Chapter 9

**9**

After getting themselves nice cold sandwiches from a local deli, the Mario brothers travelled to another outfitter store and underwent another wardrobe change. Mario was now wearing light blue overalls instead of coveralls over the same red shirt while Luigi was wearing dark blue overalls over the same green shirt. Finally they were able to walk more comfortably in the hot sun and not have to worry as much about staying in the shade. There was no sign of Pauline anywhere as the brothers strived to find the nearest hotel they could stay at.

"Mario, I'm tired." Luigi said. "My whole body is starting to ache."

"I know how you feel." Mario said. "I could also use some water. I hope Pauline is alright."

"She'll be fine." Luigi said. "But where could she have gone to?"

"I wish I could answer that." Mario said. "However, my instincts tell me that she didn't go very far."

Mario stopped and took the rucksack off his back and opened it. He took out the Diamond Star. Luigi looked at the star and then looked at his brother.

"The fate of our world rests within that and six other stars." Luigi said. "They used to be the most powerful objects in the universe."

"I know." Mario said. "I've been thinking. Do you think there's any way that these stars could be used for good intentions?"

"I doubt it." Luigi said. "They were created entirely out of evil. Although, I really want to know what the symbol on the back of the star represents, though. It's really making me think."

"It has to be the planetary symbol for Venus." Mario said. "It couldn't be anything else."

"But why is it on the star?" Luigi asked. "It has to be there for a reason. I can't imagine that the creators of this artifact would go out of their way to carve a symbol out of it when it really doesn't need one."

"They wouldn't carve it in if they had no intention to do so." Mario said. "At least that's what I think."

"Yeah, true." Luigi said. "I wonder if during that time there was a significant line up of the planets when the Shadow Queen used the stars to take over the Earth and heavens."

"What gave you that idea?" Mario asked.

"I don't know." Luigi asked. "It sort've came to me while I was asleep last night."

"Hmm." Mario said. "That makes me think of the thought I had two days ago. I forgot about it, but now I remember it. I think I was having the same thoughts you just had."

"Strange." Luigi said. "Do you think we might be on to something that we don't know about when it comes to the Crystal Stars? Something that was forgotten perhaps?"

"I don't know, Luigi." Mario said. "Something just doesn't feel right. I've had that feeling ever since we left Rogueport and found out about the prophecy of the Crystal Stars and us. It seems like the more we learn and think about the Crystal Stars, the more mystery and burden they place upon our backs. Why?"

"I'm not sure." Luigi said, letting out a huge yawn. "I'm really tired."

"Let's go find a place to stay then." Mario said. "We're going to need our rest if we want to head for the pyramids this evening."

The brothers made their way to the nearest hotel that they could find. To their surprise, the first one they came to was also the most expensive, with each suite consisting of a large balcony overlooking the rest of the town from the top of the hill. There were three floors in the giant hotel, and the grand entrance was lined with a lovely oasis filled with palm trees and papyrus plants.

"Shall we stay here?" Mario asked.

"You can't be serious!" Luigi said in a surprised voice. "They look very expensive! Do we have enough coinage to last one night?"

"We enough here to last a whole week!" Mario said.

"How can you be so sure?" Luigi asked. "You don't even know how expensive this hotel is yet!"

"It's expensive enough." Mario said. "We'll be safe here."

"I hope so." Luigi said. "The last thing we need is for Bowser's troops to raid this town like they did to Toad Town. God, I hope everyone we know there is okay!"

"Yeah, me too!" Mario said. "What about Wario and Waluigi?"

"Well, after seeing how evil Bowser is," Luigi said, "I hope that they survive too."

"Why?" Mario asked. "They tried to kill us."

"Yes," Luigi said, "but who else are we going to brag about our success to when the princesses are saved by us and the world is at peace once again?"

"That is, if we _survive_." Mario said. "I hope we do survive this ordeal we got ourselves into. Mom and Dad is probably watching us right now and rooting us on, so we must make him proud."

_Dad._ Luigi thought. _Why did you have to kill yourself? Why didn't you choose to live and see us grow up and guide through our hardships? _

"Are you okay, Luigi?" Mario asked. "You're starting to tear up, I can see it."

Luigi quickly wiped his tears.

"Nothing. Nothing is wrong." he said. "I just got a little bit of sand in my eyes."

"Oh, I see." Mario replied. "Let's go check into our room."

* * *

After negotiating a deal with the hotel clerk at the front desk residing in the main lobby, the two brothers made their way up to their booked room. They were assigned two different rooms, room 304 and 305, rooms that were both situated on the third floor. The reason why they were given separate rooms was because there were no two-person suites left. However, Mario was able to persuade the clerk to cut the price in half on the condition that they leave no later than midnight, which gave both the brothers some leeway to get their much needed sleep before their journey to the pyramids.

Mario was the first to open his suite. He couldn't believe how furnished the room was.

"Mamma mia!" he said out loud. "Look at this!"

Inside the room there was a single bed that was covered with blankets made from the finest desert fabrics. The floor was checkered black and white, much like King Toadstool's castle. The room also featured a wine rack filled with assorted alcoholic beverages and a poker table for playing various card games. There was also a balcony looking out to the desert and the distant mountains of the Mushroom from which the brothers came. He could also see the pyramids of Sarasaland glinting in the early evening sunlight.

"Wow!" Luigi said. "That's quite the setup!"

"Let's see what your room looks like." Mario said.

Luigi's room was located just across the hall from Mario's room, but it was equally spectacular in its lavish amenities. It was perfectly symmetrical to Mario's room, but the balcony looked over the town and the desert beyond, plus the light from the sun made it very bright compared to Mario's room. Luigi could even see the glint coming from the distant ocean that bordered the kingdom. He guessed it was almost thirty miles away.

"I could get used to this." Luigi said.

"Well, we're only going to be here until around midnight." Mario said. "So I wouldn't get _too _used to it."

"I think I'm going to take a shower and go to bed early." Luigi said. "I'm very tired."

"I guess I'll do the same." Mario said. "See you in the morning, brother."

"Yep." Luigi said. "I'll see you at eleven fifty-nine!"

"That works." Mario said.

Mario closed his door and headed towards his first-class bathroom and started running warm water for a nice shower.

* * *

A couple of hours passed by and Mario was unable to fall asleep. The sun was just starting to set and the sky was starting to get dark. Mario got out of his bed and looked out into the eastern horizon towards the pyramids and began to wonder.

_Why should I be staying at a fancy hotel while the princesses are in dire trouble_? he thought to himself. _It just doesn't feel right_.

The moon was no longer right in the east during the setting of the sun. Due to its constant orbital motion, Mario knew that it would be at least another hour before the moon would rise that night. It was this kind of thinking that caused Mario to have strange thoughts again.

_Luigi must be getting a really good view of the planets tonight_! Mario thought. _There must be something about the arrangement of the heavens that gives the Crystal Stars such significance_! _Whatever it is, I think the answer is buried somewhere beneath those pyramids_._ But I really need to fall asleep_._ Just thinking about this gives me such a headache_! _Maybe a sip of wine will help put me to sleep._

Mario walked over to the wine cabinet and found the strongest wine he could get his hands on. He poured himself a small glass and, without consuming too much of the beverage, he already felt a buzz inside his brain.

"Woo! That is too strong!" Mario said. "I think that'll do."

Mario went back to his bed and laid himself in the nice comfortable sheets. As expected, his eyes started to close and he fell into a deep sleep. He started to dream about Peach and the times they used to share before he knew her as a princess, especially the night of the school dance, which stuck in his memory more than anything else, other than the night of the king's funeral. It was all coming back to him now.


	30. Part 2, Chapter 10

**10**

Luigi kept tossing and turning in his hotel bed as he dreamt of him and Daisy at the big school dance a few years ago. It was during the Dire, Dire Docks Theme Song that he and Daisy shared their first kiss, and he would never forget that moment for the rest of his life. He also dreamt of the first time he ever got intimate with her in bed three nights ago and remembered the indescribable surge of pleasure that surged through his body almost like magic. Luigi kept getting the sensation of wanting that night to happen again the more he thought and dreamed about it, almost as if he were addicted to an illicit substance. He became restless to the point where he woke up from the middle of his sleep only to find that he woke up too soon. The alarm clock read 10:39 P.M. and the room was pitch-black and completely dead quiet. It was when Luigi moved that he felt a wet and sticky spot under the bed sheets near his groin.

"Mamma mia!" he said. "I knew something happened while I was asleep!"

Frustrated, Luigi got out of bed and turned on the light. He walked over to the bathroom to clean himself when he suddenly heard knocking at his door.

"Luigi! Open up!" a voice called from outside. "It's Pauline!"

_Pauline_? Luigi thought. _What is she doing here_?

"Hold on! I'll be there in just a second!" he called out. Luigi grabbed the bathrobe that was hanging from the shelf and rushed to the door and saw Pauline standing outside his door through the small eyepiece and was surprised to see that she had a frightened look on her face. Luigi opened the door and was blinded by the light in the hallway.

"What are you doing here?" Luigi asked. "I thought you ran off somewhere else."

"I did." Pauline replied. "But that's not important right now. There's something that you must know, you and your brother both."

"Alright, I'm listening." Luigi said.

"I heard about you guys and the news and couldn't be any more of you two for what you are doing to stop Bowser. That is simply just too impressive!" Pauline said. "Having said that, I came here to warn you guys that it's not safe here."

"Why do you say that?" Luigi asked.

"You and your brother are in danger right now. Bowser has a whole line of forces that are headed this way right now looking for you two to have you guys killed to disrupt the prophecy!" Pauline said.

"What?!" Luigi said. "How far are they from here?"

"They're about to enter Birachai as we speak." Pauline said.

"Oh, no!" Luigi said. "We need to get out of here!"

"Yes." Pauline said. "If we move now, we should be able to escape Bowser's troops unnoticed."

"Wait, you're going with me and Mario?" Luigi asked.

"Well, at least as far as the pyramids." Pauline said.

"What if Bowser's troops capture you?" Luigi asked.

"It's not me that they're after." Pauline said. "The worst thing they can do is question me and guide me away from their mission."

"I sure hope you know what you're doing." Luigi said.

"Relax, handsome. I know the quickest route to the pyramids." Pauline said. "I can help you guys get to the princesses."

"That would be terrific!" Luigi said. "I don't know how to thank you."

"Relax, darling! No need to thank me." Pauline said.

"By the way, Mario told me about what happened between you and him three years ago." Luigi said. "He said that the reason you two grew apart after he rescued you from Donkey Kong is that you disappeared somewhere and he was unable to reach you again. Is that true?"

"Yes, it is true." Pauline said, changing to a more melancholy tone of voice. "It was right after Mario saved me that I met these two other guys by the names of Gerald and Willy. At first, they seemed like really nice gentlemen and good friends, but it was right then that I began to realize that they were going to do terrible things to me and take me somewhere to harass and rape me. They strapped me and took me away in there wagon where I was trapped for three days Luckily, I managed to turn them in and escape their wretched grasp."

"That's terrible!" Luigi said.

"It was after that I returned to Toad Town and started looking for Mario. When I saw him with another woman, my heart sank and I became immensely depressed. I eventually transferred and moved out of the Mushroom Kingdom and found a new home here in Sarasaland, but the memories that I shared with Mario still haunted my thoughts. There were times that I almost tried to commit suicide. He was the only man that I ever had deep feelings for."

"Really?" Luigi asked. "But what about earlier today, when you were giving me those suggestive glances?"

"It was because I never met you before. Mario never introduced me to you and yet you look so much like your brother that it tricked me into thinking that I was falling in love with Mario all over again. It's hard to explain, but I guess you could say I did have a little bit of feelings for you earlier. However, I do realize that you and Princess Daisy are already in a relationship, so there's no reason for me to interfere with that."

"I appreciate your honesty." Luigi said. "But what made you decide to run away from us earlier while we were being rewarded by the king?"

"I was under the impression that Mario had completely forgot about the relationship we used to have." Pauline replied. "He acted as though our memories together were just bits of useless dust lost in the unforgiving winds of time."

Pauline was about to say something else when she immediately started to cry. Luigi comforted her by embracing her and wiping away her tears. He felt terrible for her and almost cried himself, but he kept his inner feelings to himself to avoid possible humiliation.

"I miss Mario!" she cried. "But he doesn't miss me at all!"

"There, there." Luigi said. "There's no reason for you to be upset. Mario never forgot about you. In fact, he told me that if there was something he could change about the past, he would've paid more attention to you. Even now, I'm a hundred percent certain that he's willing to talk to you and still be good friends with you. He has nothing against you at all. After all, he did save your life twice."

"Really?" Pauline asked.

"Of course! I know my brother. He would never go out of his way to harm anyone, unless they were his mortal enemy!"

Just then, Luigi and Pauline heard a loud explosion coming from outside. Both of them rushed to Luigi's balcony window and saw people running through the streets as Bowser's Koopa Army made its way towards the hotel, throwing fireballs and hammers and anything else that got in their path. They were raiding the city. Luigi and Pauline looked at each other with horrified expressions on their faces.

"We need to get out of here as soon as possible!" Luigi said.

"I'll go wake Mario!" Pauline shouted as she ran out of the room and across the hall. "Hurry and get dressed!"

"Will do!" Luigi shouted back as he hurriedly put his shirt and overalls on. He was also quick to get his socks and boots on and joined Pauline in arousing Mario from his slumber. Meanwhile, Bowser's army was getting over closer and time was running out for a decent and timely escape window. Then, they heard a large explosion coming from outside the hotel's main entrance.

"MARIO! WAKE UP!" Luigi shouted, pounding on Mario's door. "WE NEED TO GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!"

* * *

**Well, it turns out that both Pauline and Mario were victims of false information. Luigi now knows the entire truth of their 'failed' relationship and has no hard feelings for his brother, knowing that Mario was not the cause for the break-up.**

**On the same token, Pauline also knows about Mario and Luigi's quest to keep Bowser from taking over the world and to save Peach and Daisy from their relentless torture and misery. As a result, she is willing to save both Luigi and Mario from being captured by Bowser's Koopa Army, which has now burst its way through the front door of the hotel just two floors below them. Luigi and Pauline are now desperately trying to wake Mario from his sleep so that they can escape. But will they be able to wake him in time to escape the dangers that wait for them on the first floor?**

**As always, I will see you guys the next time I update, so keep your eyes open for what will happen next. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! :)**

**saturn95**


	31. Part 2, Chapter 11

**11**

Mario slowly opened his eyes and heard the sound of his door banging uncontrollably. It was so loud that it sounded like someone lit a firework in his ear. Then, he heard his brother's voice.

"What is it, Luigi?!" he asked, not realizing the urgency of the situation. "Go back to bed!"

"WE'RE BEING RAIDED BY BOWSER'S TROOPS!" Luigi shouted through the door. "IF YOU WANT TO SURVIVE, THEN I SUGGEST GETTING OUT OF BED RIGHT THIS MINUTE! PAULINE SAID SO!"

_Pauline? _Mario thought. _What's she doing here?_

"Hurry! They're coming up the stairs!" Pauline suddenly shouted.

"Wasting no time, Mario ran for the door and let Luigi and Pauline inside his room. They were clearly in a state of panic. He closed the door behind them and locked it.

"Hurry and get dressed!" Pauline said. "We have to get to the pyramids right now!"

"How did you find us?" Mario asked.

"No time to explain!" Pauline said. "How are going to get out of here?!"

Suddenly, Pauline and the brothers got an uncomfortable sinking feeling as they heard footsteps making their way down the hall. They could not be seen by Bowser's forces.

"How far up is the balcony?" Luigi asked.

"It's too high!" Pauline said. "Unless you're willing to get a broken ankle, then that would be your best option."

"But then again we have green mushrooms." Mario said. "I think."

"Wait, what do you mean 'you think'?!" Luigi asked.

Mario quickly grabbed the rucksack and frantically searched for any green mushrooms that they could use.

"We don't have any green mushrooms left!" Mario said.

"What?!" Luigi asked. "I thought we had at least one left!"

"I gave it to Pauline!" Mario said.

Suddenly, the three friends heard pounding at the door. They wanted to scream, but they knew better than to give themselves away in front of a whole army of Koopas.

"Quick! Everyone hide!" Luigi whispered.

The three friends frantically searched the room for a place to hide. Luigi found a safe haven under the bed while Pauline managed to hide in the closet. Mario began to panic, for he was unable to find any other hiding spots.

"Mario! Hurry!" Pauline said from inside the closet. "Come hide in the closet!"

Having no other choice, other than the bed where space was severely limited, Mario quickly ran into the closet with Pauline and closed the door behind him. The two of them were barely able to fit inside together.

"Mario! I'm scared!" Luigi said from underneath the bed.

"Whatever you do, don't make any sound!" Mario whispered loudly. He turned to Pauline.

"What are we going to do?" she asked.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out." Mario said.

Suddenly, the door bashed open and Koopas started pouring into the room like a tidal wave. They immediately started searching the room.

"You! Check in the bathroom!" called one of the troops to his fellow officers. "We'll check under the bed!"

"What about the closet?" someone else asked.

"We'll check there too!" said the first troop. "We cannot let those Mario Brothers get away from us again!"

_Oh God, help me! _Luigi said as the troops got closer to the bed. _I'm going to die!_ Judging by the amount of footsteps in the room, he guessed that there were about five Koopas searching the room. One of them was inching his way towards him.

As the Koopa neared the bed, he was already beginning to anticipate that there was someone underneath it.

"I know you're underneath the bed!" said the Koopa. "You can't hide from me!"

_OH NO!_ Luigi thought to himself. _THIS IS THE END OF ME! PLEASE, MARIO! DO SOMETHING!_

The Koopa stooped down next to the bed and slowly lifted the bed sheet to reveal the space underneath. He spotted Luigi hiding underneath.

_OH SHIT!_ Luigi thought.

"Well, well, well what do you know?" said the red-shelled Koopa who looking straight at the younger Mario brother.

"What is it, sir?" said a green-shelled Koopa.

"I found the skinny one hiding underneath the bed!" said the leader.

Luigi immediately tried escaping to the other side, but another Koopa was already there looking at him and ready to kill.

"Oh, God! NO!" Luigi cried. "This can't be happening!"

All five Koopas were laughing as they surrounded the bed. Luigi was trapped.

Suddenly, the Koopas heard the closet door open ever so slightly. They turned around with renewed interest.

"Is the other Mario brother hiding in there?" one of the Koopas asked.

"You mean the _real _Mario brother?" the leader asked.

"Shut up!" Luigi shouted. "I'm real too!"

"No shit, Sherlock!" said the red-shelled leader. "You're going to be the first one killed!"

_Once again, why is it always the skinny one that has to die first?_ Luigi thought in disgust. _I hope you thought of something good, brother!_

"Go look in the closet!" said the red-shelled Koopa to one of the other Koopas.

"Yes, sir." said the Koopa standing in front of Luigi's feet. He walked over to the door and slowly opened it and was surprised at what he saw.

"Hello! What's this?!" said the Koopa.

WHAM!

The Koopa Troop flew onto the ground unconscious as Pauline stepped out of the closet and revealed herself. The others were shocked.

"You're not Mario!" the red-shelled leader shouted. "You're a woman!"

"_No shit, Sherlock_!" Pauline replied. Luigi was heard laughing underneath the bed.

"Step out of the way, woman! We don't have time to play any of your games!" said another Koopa.

"What are you talking about?" Pauline asked. "I was just about to let you look in the closet."

"What?" asked another Koopa. "Are you sure this isn't a trap?"

"There's no one else in there." Pauline said. "But if you want to be sure, go ahead and take a look."

"Well, if you insist." said the red-shelled Koopa. "But don't think you'll get out of this unscathed!"

One of the three green-shelled Koopas that was still conscious pushed Pauline out of the way and looked inside the closet. Sure enough, there was no one else inside. But when he turned around and was suddenly greeted by someone who was hiding on the ceiling and fell back to the floor. It was Mario!

"FREEZE!" he shouted, throwing an ice ball at the unsuspecting Koopa and encasing him in a huge block of ice.

"SHE LIED TO US!" said the leader. "GET HER!"

"_Oh no you don't_!" said a voice behind him. The Koopa turned around and immediately fell to the ground upon receiving a swift and hard punch to the face by Luigi. The two remaining Koopas immediately drew their weapons, and started swinging at the brothers. However, Mario was able to give them a cold blast before they ever had the chance to do harm.

"Quick! Let's get out of here!" Pauline said.

"The elevator is the quickest route." Mario said. "Let's go!"

"Wait for me!" Luigi shouted.

The three friends stepped out into the bright hallway and sprinted towards the elevator at the far end.

"Are you sure the elevator is the safest route?" Luigi asked.

"I don't see why it wouldn't be." Pauline said.

Suddenly, the elevator door opened and two Hammer Brothers stepped out into the hall. Both Pauline and the brothers gasped.

"There they are!" one of them shouted. "Get them!"

The three friends instantaneously turned around and headed for the stairs as the Hammer Brothers started chasing them. Pauline suddenly tripped as her right high heel shoe gave way underneath her foot.

"Pauline!" Mario shouted.

The Hammer Brothers were getting closer and Mario's ice powers were beginning to wear off. With the last bit of power he had, Mario was able to blast the Hammer Brother Koopas with a blast of chilly air and freeze them before they got to Pauline. He was now back to his normal self again.

"Thank you, Mario." Pauline said. "That was too close."

"Your welcome." Mario replied. "The elevator is probably safe now."

"Hopefully it's safe!" Luigi said. "I don't want to get killed anytime soon."

"Let's go!" Mario said. "Leave your shoes here, Pauline. They'll slow you down."

Pauline reluctantly took her shoes off and left them behind. The friends entered the now empty elevator and pressed the button to go to the first floor.

"Those were my best shoes!" Pauline complained. "I realize that they were slowing me down, but now I have to run around barefoot."

"We just want to get out here alive." Luigi said. "Don't you?"

"Of course!" Pauline replied. "I was the one that warned you guys to get away from here!"

"Touché." Luigi said, finding himself at fault. Suddenly, the elevator dinged and the door opened out into the main lobby.

"Oh my, God!" Mario said. "This not good!"

Inside the lobby was the rest of Bowser's army. There were red and green-shelled Koopas, Hammer Koopas, and Boomerang Koopas, all were starring at the two brothers and Pauline with the intent of killing them.

"It's them!" said a Boomerang Brother. Mario immediately closed the door as they got bombarded with boomerangs and hammers. He searched through the rucksack and found three fire flowers.

"Here, Luigi! Take one." Mario said. "Pauline?"

"I can't do that." Pauline said. "I'm allergic to those flowers."

"Stay here, then." Mario said. "I'll call the elevator when the battle is over."

Mario looked at Luigi, who was already rubbing the flower into his palm.

"Ready, brother?" Mario asked.

"Let's do this!" Luigi said.

As the fire started taking over the brothers' bodies, the elevator door suddenly opened and the Koopa Army started hammering them with their projectiles. Mario and Luigi started throwing fireballs rapidly their enemies, dodging boomerangs and hammers in the process.

"Luigi! Look out!" Mario shouted.

Luigi ducked as a large hammer almost hit him in the face and rushed over to help his brother. Soon the whole lobby was awash with red and green fire as the lobby became more and more 'empty'.

"Mario, watch out!" Luigi said. "There's a Koopa behind you!"

Mario turned around and saw that it was a red-shelled Koopa. Mario jumped on it, and then kicked it across the room, knocking over two Boomerang Brothers in the process. But the enemies kept coming at them like a wildfire.

"Would you two just die already?!" said a nearby Hammer Brother. Luigi responded with a green fireball, knocking him to the ground unconscious. Mario and Luigi found themselves standing back to back as they threw fireballs and slowly neutralized Bowser's small army.

After over two minutes of solid fighting, Mario and Luigi were down to only a couple of Koopas, who were showing signs of surrendering. Finally, the two green-shelled Koopas fell to the ground and gave up.

"We surrender!" they said in unison. "Don't kill us!" They ran out of the hotel at lightning speed to escape their wrath.

Mario wiped the sweat off of his face and turned to Luigi, who was ready to collapse. Luigi looked back at him and smiled.

"We did it again!" he said.

"I'll get Pauline." Mario said.

Mario ran to the elevator door and pressed the button as the fire powers started to wear off. The door opened and Pauline ran out of the elevator embracing Mario as she wept tears of joy.

"Oh, thank heavens you're alive!" she cried. "I was worried that you wouldn't make it!"

"It's over now." Mario said. "Let's get out of here."

"The door's this way!" Luigi said.

The friends ran across the lobby and ran out the front door and into the night leaving behind piles upon piles of unconscious and dead Koopa Troops. Bowser had failed again.


	32. Part 2, Chapter 12

**12**

Bowser paced back and forth down in the empty satellite center as he awaited news of the ambush. He was certain that there would be no complications to report this time around, especially since he sent a whole wave of Koopas to hunt the brothers down. He stopped and stood next to the giant holographic simulator. There was nothing being displayed the moment, except for the Earth and a digital clock displaying the current time. It was 3:01 A.M.

"They should be wrapping up by now." Bowser said to himself as he yawned under his own breath. "It's been more than a few hours since I sent them. I guess I'll have to find out in the morning."

Bowser was about to leave when Kamek burst through the elevator doors, breathing heavily. Bowser could see that he had something to report.

"Do you have something to report?" Bowser asked.

Kamek said nothing.

"Well, you came down here to tell me something, right?" Bowser asked. "ANSWER ME!"

After a long pause, Kamek uttered the phrase Bowser was not looking forward to hearing: "They escaped…again!"

In a burst of fury, Bowser grabbed Kamek by the neck and held him in the air with all his strength before dropping him back to ground. Steam was literally coming out of his ears.

"THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING!" Bowser shouted. "How could the Koopas fail me again?! Those damned brothers!"

"From what I heard," Kamek said, coughing from Bowser's heavy grasp, "the damage that was done this time was more serious."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Bowser demanded.

"There were many casualties." Kamek said. "The brothers killed off a large portion of the army we sent to Birachai."

Bowser went over to his holographic simulator and started banging his head on it as tears started to develop in his eyes.

"They're destroying my army!" Bowser cried. "They're crushing me with their acrobatics and their blasted fireballs!"

"And ice balls." Kamek added.

Bowser continued to cry as he kept thinking of the Koopas that lost their lives in the failed mission. It was his entire fault, and he knew it too. Never before has he suffered a major blow from two enemies that seemed insignificant in comparison to the many kingdoms he had once attempted to overthrow in his long and dark history. Every other person that attempted to overthrow him in the past was disposed of immediately. But the Mario Brothers have since proven to be just as difficult as trying to invade a whole kingdom. After a minute, Bowser came back to his senses and became furious once more.

"I WANT THOSE SONS OF BITCHES BURNED ALIVE BEFORE I SEE ANY MORE OF OUR ARMY WIPED OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH!" Bowser suddenly shouted. "THIS SIMPLY CANNOT GO ON!"

"Well, at least they haven't collected all the Crystal Stars." Kamek said. "We still have six more to find."

"Yeah, but the Mario Brothers have the one that _has_ been recovered!" Bowser said. "We need that and the other stars to carry on with our elaborate plan!"

"I know, but why the rush?!" Kamek asked. "Why do you want the stars so soon?"

"Please don't tell me you've forgotten!" Bowser said. "We were just discussing this two days ago!"

"Please tell me again." Kamek said. "I'm afraid my memory is starting to fail me."

"UGH!" Bowser grunted. He turned around toward his machine. "LOOK!"

Bowser pressed a button on the holograph which made the virtual Earth shrink and move away from the center of the image. In the center of the giant holographic simulator stood the mighty stellar orb of the sun. The other planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn) as well as Earth's moon appeared on the screen along with their highlighted orbital paths. Kamek was stunned, for he had never seen Bowser bring it up before.

"This, right here, is our solar system…well, most of it anyway." Bowser said. "As you can see, all the planets appear to be on the other side of the sun relative to us."

He points to the Earth and the moon.

"This is our planet's current position in its orbit right now. But look what happens when I speed it to around two weeks from now, the day when the solar eclipse occurs."

Bowser pressed another button, which caused the planets to revolve around the sun much faster. Tiny Mercury was seen speeding along its tight, puny eighty-eight day orbit like a Bullet Bill. At the same time, ringed Saturn was slowly cranking along its huge twenty-nine and a half year orbit like the gears of a large clock, virtually staying in the same relative position. Finally, Bowser stopped the virtual orrery and turned to Kamek.

"As you can see," Bowser said, "The Earth and all the planets have changed their positions. But look at how they are arranged. If you look closely, the moon is lined up perfectly between the sun and the Earth. That would be the solar eclipse. On the other side of the sun, you have Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn forming somewhat of a straight line as well. These kinds of situations are very rare."

"So what does an alignment of the planets have to do with the Mario Brothers and the Crystal Stars?" Kamek asked. "I never quite understood that."

"Hidden inside those Crystal Stars is a power that hasn't been harnessed since the reign of the Shadow Queen almost a thousand years ago." Bowser said. "It just so happens that during that time there was a similar planetary alignment. But after that occurred, the powers of the Stars started to drain. It was when those powers disappeared that Shadow Queen was overthrown and the stars were scattered all over the world in different places to ensure that no one would use their power again."

"It's all coming back to me now!" Kamek said. "If everything you said was accurate, how can you be so sure that powers of the Stars are still there?"  
"I'm not sure." Bowser said. "All I know is I can't risk having those Mario Brothers see the power before I'm able to get my hands on the Stars! They need to be disposed of as quickly as possible! Where are they now?"

"No one knows." Kamek said. "But my guess is that they are on their way to the pyramids in the Sarasalandian desert. They were also seen with a mysterious dark-haired woman."

"A woman?" Bowser asked.

"Yes." Kamek said. "She's probably the reason why the Mario brothers were able to escape!"

"Well, then she must be disposed of as well!" Bowser asked. "Or at least kidnapped and taken into my custody. We must warn the others!"

"Yes, sir!" Kamek said. "I'll send out the message right now."

"Excellent!" Bowser said. "Make it hasty now! I don't want any more failures! I will not sleep until the Mario Brothers are dead! You hear?!"

* * *

**By now, Bowser is flabbergasted and running out of options. He has lost most of his Koopa Troop mob to Mario and Luigi and is deeply offended by them. However, he still has many armies to go around. **

**But on the same token, Bowser now has to make a critical decision: either continue with the same trial-and-error tactics that have gotten him nowhere, or step up to the plate himself. What will he do? Will he do anything different? If so, how will Mario and Luigi react? Things are about to get very interesting...that's all I'm going to say for now:) I will see you guys the next time I update :)**

**saturn95**


	33. Part 2, Chapter 13

**13**

Mario, Luigi, and Pauline were now dashing through the dark desert towards the pyramids to avoid being caught by any more of Bowser's evil Koopa forces. The only guiding light that they were able to rely on was the reflected light of the moon, which hung high like a scary glowing Boo ghost. The air was surprisingly cool, for there were no clouds to keep in the great heat of the day. Even so, Mario was very thirsty, especially since he took a sip of that wine before he finally fell asleep. He was now beginning to regret that decision. Pauline's bare feet were beginning to get sore and Luigi was beginning to feel drowsy from his dehydration, almost sick to his stomach.

Looking back from the top of a small plateau, the city of Birachai was under siege. Huge towers of smoke were rising as small buildings burned under the fiery rage of the Koopa Army. Flames were rising higher and the city began to glow orange. Mario starred at the burning city and could not help that it was Mario and Luigi's fault for its destruction. Then he remembered Toad Town. He thought of all the people that were left homeless after the invasion and the suffering that they were going through right now. He knew that he and his brother were no different from any of them. Still, he could not help but feel sorrow for the people of Birachai as well. They, along with the people of Toad Town, did not do anything to deserve such cruel beatings from Bowser.

"Look at that." Pauline said. "It's bullshit that Bowser can go about destroying innocent cities! It's been going on for far too long!"

"You can say that again!" Luigi said. "We've already been victims of his evil agenda three times in our lives."

"I don't think its safe anywhere now." Mario said. "It seems that Bowser is working harder and harder to corner and annihilate us. There's no way we can give ourselves away and expect Bowser to leave us alone. We have to keep moving."

"I can agree with that." Luigi said.

"Me too." Pauline said. "I just wish I could guide you two along the rest of the journey. But the truth is I'm simply not fit for the challenges you two will face."

"You can't leave us now!" Mario said. "You'll get captured yourself, if not killed by Bowser's forces! I can't lose you again!"

"But you're not doing this for me." Pauline said. "You're doing this for Princess Peach and the whole world. Listen, I told Luigi about everything that happened to me when our relationship fizzled away and I think you deserve to know as well."

Pauline told everything he told Luigi to Mario and Mario understood. It was not his fault after all.

"I never realized that you went through all that trouble." Mario said. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, really." Pauline said. "What matters now is that you make Peach happy. We can still be friends you know."

"True, but…" Mario paused.

"But, what?" Pauline asked.

"I just don't want you to get hurt, Pauline." Mario said. "I'm worried that something bad will happen to you. I hate to say it, but women are very vulnerable in this world, and I want you to stay safe from all the thugs that are ruining it. I don't want to lose any more people that are close to me. Believe me, I've been through it enough times to know that it is a cruel thing to experience, and I don't to see it happen again."

Pauline put her hand on Mario's shoulder and looked at him in the eye with her glistening grayish-blue eyes.

"Listen. You've saved my life twice, and I couldn't be any more thankful for what you've done. Tonight, I'm saving you and your brother from the Koopa Army. They will stop at nothing to kill you guys and take the Crystals Stars for their own mindless destruction. You and your brother have a prophecy to fulfill and I don't want to interfere with it; I would just slow you down. Besides, I have no place for what's in store for the future."

"What are you talking about?!" Luigi asked. "You're contradicting yourself! Without you, the prophecy would've ended. If it weren't for you, we would be laying in our hotel beds _dead_! You already have a vital standing in the prophecy!"

"Luigi's right." Mario said. "We would be dead if it weren't for you… You're just as much of a heroine to me as I am a hero to you."

Pauline embraced Mario and starting weeping tears of joy.

"I never knew you thought of me that way." Pauline said. "That was probably that nicest thing that anyone has ever said to me, except for 'I love you'."

"Really?" Mario asked.

"Yeah." Pauline said. "Both of those remarks were uttered by you, silly!"

Mario starred for a moment.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye." Mario said.

"Yes, unfortunately." Pauline said. "I don't mean to be a coward for leaving you two to save the world, but I can't afford to slow you two down."

"We understand." Mario said. "But whatever you do, please don't get caught by the Koopa Army! If you must, seek refuge in the parallel world. It's the only place I can think of that hasn't been touched by Bowser's evil hands."

"I'll try." Pauline said. "I wish you two the best of luck on your adventure and I am confident that you and Peach share a fantastic marriage."

"I'm glad that you think so." Mario replied.

Pauline smiled. She went over to Luigi and gave him a large hug as well. Luigi's cheeks became warm.

"I wish the same for you and Daisy too." Pauline said. "It was great meeting you for the first time."

"It was nice meeting you too." Luigi said. "I hope we see you again in the near future."

"The same goes for you too." she replied.

As Pauline said her goodbyes and walked off into the gloomy nighttime desert, Mario suddenly remembered something.

"Pauline!" Mario shouted.

"Yeah?" she called out.

"Thank you for saving us!"

"My pleasure!" Pauline said. "Hey, when you see Bowser, can you kick him where it counts for me?"

"Of course!" Mario replied. "Luigi and I were already planning on it!"

Pauline laughed. She knew that Mario Luigi were well on their way to becoming great heroes.

As the brothers said their final goodbyes, they watched Pauline make her way out into the desert before she finally disappeared into the darkness. They could only hope and pray that she would be able to find shelter and escape the seemingly inescapable wrath of Bowser, but at the same time, they felt confident that she would. After standing for a few more minutes, Mario and Luigi continued walking towards the pyramids, whose tips glowed under the moon and stars like frozen icicles in a winter city. Little did they know that danger was already waiting for them just beyond the sandy hills…

* * *

**Pauline has now left the two brothers to carry on with their adventure. The brothers seem confident that she will stay out of trouble's way, but they don't realize that they are walking into a trap. What is the danger that lies just beyond the sandy hills? The answer will be revealed in the next chapter. Stay tuned!**

**saturn95**


	34. Part 2, Chapter 14

**14**

Mario and Luigi climbed the tall stand dunes and admired the vista of the pyramids. There are hundreds upon hundreds of labyrinths and tombs buried underneath, as the brothers learned a few years ago in their history classes. They knew that finding the second Crystal Star would be a Herculean task unless they knew exactly where to look. So far, the only information that they have is that it is buried underneath one of the pyramids; in other words, the information they have is not very helpful. To make matters worse, the brothers were quick to notice lights running about halfway around each of the three large pyramids before them. It was another archeological dig set up by none other than Bowser.

"Not again!" Luigi said. "I knew that we'd walk into another trap!"

"Luigi, it is fine!" Mario said. "We just have to stay out of sight and remain calm, just like before back in the Mushroom Kingdom."

"I'm just afraid that they have more ways to kill us here." Luigi said. "After all, Bowser knows we're here. So, the Koopa Army is very well aware of our presence."

"I am aware of that!" Mario said. "I'm also aware that it is in our best interest to stay focused and not chicken out on this adventure. Like I told you before, just think of how the princesses feel right now. They would want us to win."

Luigi said nothing. The brothers continued making their way down the other side of the sand dunes to the flat sand below, which looked darker than the surrounding sand in the distance.

"Something doesn't seem right." Luigi said.

"What doesn't seem right?" Mario asked.

"I don't know. I just have that gut-wrenching feeling that something doesn't make sense."

"Oh, please!" Mario said. "You're just being paranoid!"

"I'm not being paranoid!" Luigi said. "I'm just following my instinct."

"Have you ever considered that maybe you're instinct is trying to scare you into not accomplishing this feat?" Mario asked. "Have you ever considered that maybe this has been going on for much of your life?"

"What are you saying?" Luigi asked. "Are you saying that you don't believe me?!"

"Here, I'll prove to you that there's nothing wrong here!" Mario said.

Mario made the first step onto the flat, muddy sand.

"See? There's nothing here!" Mario said. "It's just solid sand! No hollow ground or any deceitful weapons of mass destruction buried in the ground. Everything is perfectly fine!"

"You know what, I think I'm just going to stay right here!" Luigi said, turning away from his brother. "It's just not fair that you ignore what I have to say..." Luigi suddenly noticed something strange. He turned back to his brother with a fearful look on his face.

"Now what?" Mario asked.

"You're getting shorter!" Luigi asked.

"What are you talking about?!" Mario asked. "I'm not getting shorter, you're getting taller!"

"I'm not getting taller!" Luigi asked. "You're standing in quicksand!"

Mario looked down at his feet and ankles and saw they were getting buried in the wet, parasitic sand. He tried to move, but was hardly able to do so. Panicking, Mario tried jumping out of the sand, but that did not do him any good at all.

"Luigi! Help!" Mario cried. "I'm stuck!"

Wasting no time, Luigi rushed down the last few steps of the hill and reached his hand out for Mario to grab it. He reached as far as he could, but his long arms were unable to grab Mario's hand.

"I...can't...reach!" Luigi said.

"Keep trying!" Mario said as he tried wading over to Luigi. "I need to get out of here!"

Luigi looked around for anything that he might be able to use as an anchor. He could not find anything that could be useful. His luck ran out.

"Hurry!" Mario shouted. "The sand is almost up to my hands!"

"Grab my leg!" Luigi shouted. "Can you reach it?"

Mario started reaching for Luigi's boot, but was unable to reach it the first time. He tried again and started pulling himself out of the sand.

"Keep your balance, Luigi!" Mario shouted. "I think its working!"

Luigi was struggling to keep his balance as Mario's weight pulled him down. He tried to keep himself balanced by leaning backwards a little, which ended up not being very effective as Luigi found himself falling into the quicksand as well.

"Luigi!" Mario shouted. "I told you to keep your balance!"

"It's rather hard when you weigh so much!" Luigi said. The only part of him that was not covered in wet sand was his upper body. "Now we're both stuck in here! We're doomed!"

"No we're not." Mario said. "I know how to get out of this!"

Mario waded through the muddy sand to the edge where a large boulder stood, undisturbed.

"We can use this boulder pull ourselves out!" Mario said. "Follow me!"

Mario slowly led the way over to large boulder and Luigi followed behind him. Upon reaching it, he reached up with hands and desperately tried pulling himself out. It took him away, but he was finally to free himself from the sand.

"Luigi, grab my hands!" Mario said. "Hurry!"

Luigi lifted his arms and grabbed Mario's hand with his left hand and grabbed the boulder with his right hand. Luigi struggled as he used all of his strength.

"You're almost there, Luigi! Keep pulling!" Mario said.

"I'm trying!" Luigi replied. "But it's not working!"

"Try harder!"

Using the last bit of strength he had, Luigi gave one last major effort to pull out of the quicksand. With Mario's help, Luigi was finally able to pull himself out of the sand trap and make it back to the safety of the hill. Both of them were now covered in mud and soaked. Nonetheless, Mario and Luigi breathed a huge sigh of relief that they were still alive. Mario turned to Luigi, his chest beating wildly out of control from the adrenaline.

"Remind me not to do that again." he said.

"I always trust my instinct." Luigi said. "You should too."

"Well, in that case you should trust mine too. Mario said. "After all, if it weren't for me, you would've died."

"If would've listened to me in the first place, then maybe we wouldn't be covered in mud right now." Luigi said.

"I'm just glad that we made it out alive." Mario said.

"Yeah, me too." Luigi said. "Although, I wonder how many more times we'll come close to death before we reach the princesses."

"I wish I knew, brother." Mario said. "Otherwise, I would tell you."

Mario took an ice flower from the rucksack and rubbed it in the palm of his right hand. When the ice powers took over, Mario used the power on the quick sand to solidify it, forming a 'bridge' to other side, where it was safe to walk on.

"I think I saw an oasis not too far from here near the pyramids." Mario said. "Let's head there to get some water. We'll need it to stay alive out here."

"Okay." Luigi said. "After you, brother."

The two brothers carefully walked across the iced over quicksand and made it to the other side. From there, they started walking downhill again as they made their way to a nearby oasis. The archeological dig was still about two miles away, Mario judged.

* * *

After about ten minutes of walking in dark, barren landscape, Mario and Luigi finally arrived at the oasis. A large pool of water was present and was surrounded by many palm trees and papyrus plants. Mario wasted no time rushing to the pond to get a quenching drink.

"Finally, I can get rid of that nasty wine taste!" Mario said, splashing water into his face. "Luigi! Get over here! This water is perfectly crystal clear! It's just like the water we used to get out of the refrigerator at home!"

"I'll be there in just a minute!" Luigi said from behind a nearby palm tree. "I'm taking a piss."

Mario rolled his eyes as continued drinking from the pond. Luigi joined him and started guzzling the water like dry sand. Then, Luigi jumped into the deeper water and submerged himself for a few moments before surfacing. Mario looked at him like he was crazy.

"What on Earth are you doing?" Mario asked.

"The water's fine!" Luigi said in a jovial tone. "Come in! Get all that mud of you!"

Mario declined, but was suddenly greeted by a splash of water. He looked at Luigi, who was laughing hysterically.

"Now you're asking for it, brother!" Mario said. "Come here!"

Mario jumped into the water and started splashing Luigi. Luigi simply ducked under the water surface and splashed back. Both of them were now laughing and having a good time, just as if they were little children again; they were essentially living the childhood that they never had, and it made Mario and Luigi feel more alive than they ever used to be.

After a few minutes, the brothers climbed out of the pond and found a boulder large enough for them to lie on and stare up at the stars. There was no light pollution, so each glittering point resembled a bright sparkling diamond. It was a truly beautiful sight.

"I haven't felt this great since we were little." Mario said. "I just wish we would've had more time to have fun like this."

"Yeah." Luigi said. "I do too."

"Luigi?" Mario asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think of Daisy every time you look up at the stars?"

"Yes." Luigi replied. "Why?"

"Oh, nothing." Mario said. "It's just that, I think of Peach every time I look at them."

"Really?" Luigi asked. "That's weird."

"Well, what can I say? We are brothers after all."

Mario and Luigi laughed.

"You know, I bet whenever Peach and Daisy are looking up at the sky, they always see us." Luigi said. "It's just a hunch."

"I wouldn't doubt that for one moment." Mario said. "I just wish they were safe with us and not stuck with Bowser. God knows what's going on with them right now. The thought of it just makes me shiver!"

"We should probably leave now." Luigi said. "I don't want to fall asleep and wake up in a dungeon inside Bowser's Castle!"

With that note, the two brothers immediately got up from the boulder and got one last drink of water from the pond before leaving the peaceful oasis and reentering the barren and dangerous desert. They were now closing in on Bowser's archeological outpost next to the great pyramids of Sarasaland, which were now less than one and a half miles away. There was no turning back now.

* * *

**Mario and Luigi have discovered another archeological dig set up by Bowser in the middle of the desert. The brothers barely managed to escape a sand trap and find a fresh source of water in an oasis, where they hydrated themselves and had a fun water fight, something they haven't been able to experience in their miserable childhood. However, good things must come to an end, for the threat of getting caught by the Koopa Army is still very high. So they leave the oasis and start walking towards the pyramids. What will they find in the archeological dig? Will they get any closer to finding the second Crystal Star? What other dangers await the Mario brothers in the barren desert?**

**As always, I look forward to sharing the next chapter with you guys. It's been such an epic journey, but it is still only the beginning! Keep your eyes open for the next chapter. Until then, I will see you later:)**

**saturn95**


	35. Part 2, Chapter 15

**15**

Mario and Luigi got ever closer to the dig and found that it was almost entirely empty. They were now less than a quarter of a mile from the site. Although there were many light posts set up in the area, there was no one in the area at all. The buildings that made up the outpost were none other than large tents. As they got closer, they started to hear what sounded like snoring coming from inside the tents.

"Mario, I'm beginning to think that this is not an archeological dig." Luigi said. "I think these are just sleeping quarters."

"That's what I'm starting to think." Mario said.

Suddenly, a Koopa Troop emerged from one of the tents, facing in the direction of the two brothers. He stepped into the light and revealed himself as not only a Koopa Troop, but also as a member of the Hammer Brothers Army. Panicked, the two brothers immediately fell to the ground to avoid detection. It was then that a loud sonic boom was heard coming from the sky. The brothers looked up and saw that it was one of Bowser's airships.

"What the hell is that thing doing here?" Luigi asked.

"They obviously know that we're here." Mario said. "But why would Bowser keep sending troops if he knows that we're going to wipe them out?"

"That's what I want to know." Luigi said.

Then, the airship started to lower itself onto a plain desert field just over fifty feet from where they were laying. The Hammer Brother was gone and the two brothers quickly hid behind one of the tents to get a better view of the airship and the people who were operating it. When the sounds of the flapping masts started to die down, the Koopas who were operating the craft started to file themselves out of the craft. The Koopas who were inside the tents were also making their way out to the large airship to see what the commotion was all about as if they were never at all in a state of deep sleep. Quickly seeking refuge behind another tent to avoid being seen, Mario and Luigi watched as they gathered together in a large group when they suddenly gasped.

"Oh, no!" Mario said. "It's Bowser!"

"We need to get out of here!" Luigi said. "They're going to send searching parties after us for sure!"

"Hold on. Just wait a minute." Mario said. "I want to hear what they have to say."

As they watched Bowser land on the sandy ground, Mario and Luigi began eavesdropping on the army. But a few moments later they decided to run for the large pyramid in which the encampment was surrounding. They were no longer safe to hide near an ever-growing enemy force.

* * *

Meanwhile, Bowser was beginning to question the army of the whereabouts of the Mario Brothers, but their responses were very much the same, since none of them have seen them roaming the desert.

"So none of you have encountered the brothers yet?" Bowser asked.

The Koopas from the campsite shook their heads.

"Well, here's what happened." Bowser began. "The brothers were able to escape from my invasion of Birachai and escape with the Crystal Star. The only other place they would be right now is somewhere near these large pyramids."

"Is that why you're here?" one of the Koopa Troops asked.

"Yes, but also because of sick of seeing the same mistakes repeated over and over again!" Bowser asked. "Tonight's mistake resulted in the deaths of a few Koopas who were murdered by none other than the Mario Brothers themselves! They've gone way too far this time!"

"Damn right they have!" said another Koopa. "What do you expect to do to stop them?! We don't even know where they're at!"

"True." Bowser said. "But I know that they would be somewhere around here. Remember, they're also searching for the Crystal Stars. According to the ancient documents that I recovered in Rogueport, one of them is located here."

"Didn't you steal those documents?" asked another Koopa.

Bowser turned toward him and glared at him.

"THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT!" he shouted. "WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS THAT WE KILL THOSE FUCKING BASTARDS BEFORE THEY DESTROY OUR PLOT TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD! I'VE BEEN ONTO THIS FOR OVER A DECADE, SO I DON'T WANT ANY OF YOU GUYS TO SCREW THINGS UP!"

The Koopas remained silent as Bowser gave each of them a good glare.

"Now, I have already planned a new strategy." Bowser began in a calmer tone. "While, I'm busy bringing in more reinforcements, you guys will be split into three different search parties."

Bowser turned toward the Boomerang Brothers.

"Boomerang Brothers, your job will be to explore the underground tombs underneath the very ground we are standing upon. Hammer Brothers..."

Turning over to the Hammer Brothers, Bowser immediately gets their attention.

"Your job is to explore the surrounding ancient temples and water holes. The rest of you will be searching the pyramids, both outside and inside."

"What are you going to do Master Bowser?" asked another Koopa.

"What am _I _going to do?!" he said. "Well, that's easy. My job is to call in additional reinforcements, as well as search the premises myself in my own search party. If any of you does spot either of the two brothers, or both of them, I'll have my radio with me at all times. Please alert me if you do see them! GOT IT?!"

"YES SIR!" shouted the Koopa Army in unison.

"GOOD! NOW, ALL OF YOU MOVE OUT! AFTER THEM!"

The Koopas did as they were told and immediately started moving out into their designated groups.

* * *

Mario and Luigi were already climbing the largest of the three large pyramids which also happened to be the middle one. They were making their way towards the large and ancient shaft entrance leading inside the pyramid, located halfway up a complicated 'staircase' of loose limestone bricks. The moon still dominated the night sky and the brothers were not willing to let their exhaustion get in the way.

"We're almost to the entrance." Mario said. "Careful, watch your step, Luigi."

"This is a lot easier than I thought it would be." Luigi said. "From far away, the pyramids looked as though they were too smooth to scale."

"That's what I though too." Mario replied. "Although I wish there was a staircase."

"I say I wish there was one too!" Luigi said. "We need to hurry before they find us! Look!"

Mario turned around and saw where Luigi was pointing. Back near the campsite, a search party of Koopas was seen making its way towards the pyramid.

"This is not good!" Mario said. "Come on, Luigi! Let's book it!"

* * *

**Bowser is now searching for Mario and Luigi himself! On top of that, Mario and Luigi are stuck on the side of a pyramid with a search party after them, but luckily they still have no idea that they are on the pyramid. But what are two brothers supposed to do to escape the consequences of getting caught?! Sure fire and ice flowers would help, but in this case the brothers know that the best way to get away from Bowser and his forces is to remain quiet and not be seen. Using their powers would only attract attention to themselves.**

**What mysteries await the brothers as they prepare to enter the pyramid? Will they escape the approaching Koopas? Find out in the next chapter upon its release. Until then, as usual, I will see you guys the next time I update :)**

**saturn95**


	36. Part 2, Chapter 16

**16**

Mario and Luigi hurried their way up the jumbled and blocky side of the pyramid where they were able to climb into the shaft entrance. The Koopa Army that was following them with a blind eye was still near the bottom of the pyramid, leaving the brothers plenty of time to make their next move. They immediately ran down the dark downward-sloping hall and into the seemingly foreboding darkness. The atmosphere became creepier the farther down Mario and Luigi ventured.

"Mario, I'm scared." Luigi said. "We need some light to see."

"Luigi, I'd rather be stuck in the dark than in the hands of the Koopa Army!" Mario said. "We don't to attract any attention to ourselves! That's the last thing I want happening!"

"But...what about...the...ghosts?" Luigi asked.

"Ghosts?! Luigi, there can't be any ghosts inside the pyramid!" Mario said. "If there were any, they'd show themselves!"

"I beg to differ." Luigi said.

Mario sighed.

"One of these days, I'm not going to be around and you're going to have to face your fear and overcome it!" Mario said. "It's enough to be afraid of the dark, but being afraid of ghosts is something you need to get over."

"I can't help it!" Luigi protested. "It's my phasmophobia! There's nothing that can be done to cure it! I'll be like this for the rest my life!"

"No, you won't!" Mario said.

The brothers continued down the dark shaft. The only sounds they could hear were the echoes of the footsteps on the hard stone. Suddenly, the floor beneath them leveled out and the brothers stepped into the central room inside the pyramid. It was pitch-black, so they were unable to see anything other than the silver moonlight pouring in from outside. Suddenly, the brothers froze and listened to rising commotion coming from outside.

"Whatever you do, don't make any noise!" Mario said. "I think the Koopas are coming!"

"What are we going to do?" Luigi whispered.

"Quick! Let's hide behind the wall!" Mario said. "That's the only thing we can do! You hide over there on that side."

"Okay." Luigi replied.

* * *

"Well, I don't the see the brothers anywhere down there." said one of the Koopas looking down into the pyramidal shaft. "Do you?"

"No. But that doesn't mean they aren't down there!" said another Koopa. "We need to keep searching. Let's go!"

"Wait! What if they are waiting for us down there?!" said a less brave Koopa. "They'll kill us! Just look at what happened back in Birachai!"

"They can't be down there." said the first Koopa. "If they were down there, they would've made it obvious!"

"How do you know that?!" asked the second Koopa. "You don't know what they're capable of!"

"Listen!" said the third Koopa. "We still have a few other pyramids to explore. I'm sure they might've hidden themselves in one of those places. If not, then I'm sure one of the other search parties will find them."

The other two Koopas remained silent for a while. Then they nodded their heads in agreement.

"Alright, boys. Let's go." said the first Koopa. "The others are waiting for us at the base."

With that said, the three Koopa Troops started climbing back down the pyramid to the ground, where the others were waiting patiently. They gave the signal to move on the pyramid and they immediately started walking.

* * *

Mario and Luigi could hear their own hearts beat as the Koopas started heading back down to the ground. Slowly, they eased up and gave out a sigh of relief.

"I think we'll be safe for a while." Mario said. "They won't be back for a while I bet."

"You mean they'll be back?!" Luigi asked.

"More than likely." Mario said. "If they really wanted to kill us, they would make their way back here after they checked every other location. They'd make sure we weren't hiding or something."

Mario and Luigi became silent.

"It's really dark in here." Luigi said. "Can we light a fire flower now?"

"I suppose." Mario said. "Here, you light it."

"Okay." Luigi replied. "By the way, how are we doing on our fire flower supply?"

"We still have plenty of them left." Mario said. "I doubt we'll run out anytime soon. We still need to get more mushrooms."

"Where are we going to find more of these?" Luigi asked. "Professor Frankly did mention that there were more of them throughout the world. But where?"

"I don't know, Luigi." Mario replied. "Go ahead and use that fire flower. It won't get brighter anytime soon."

Luigi rubbed the flower into the palm of his hand and watched his clothes change color once again. He formed a fire ball in his hand and illuminated the dark room, revealing details were previously invisible. The room was covered ancient pictograms of both humans and Toad people in beautiful red, yellow, white, green and blue shades, along with hieroglyphics that were written in a dead language. The brothers looked around in awe at the vibrant colors that covered the room.

"Look at this place!" Mario said. "It's magnificent!"

"I know." Luigi said. "There's no way that the ancestors who lived here went out of their way to build these pyramids for dead kings!"

"Sounds like a place I learned about in our school days that exists in the Parallel World." Mario said. "Their pyramids are very similar to 'ours' in the way they were built, but they don't have the bright golden tips like the ones here in Sarasaland. I believe that at least one of their pyramids used to have a golden tip at one point."

"Really?" Luigi asked. "What's this place called? Do you remember?"

"I'm not quite sure." Mario said. "But if I remember correctly, the place is called _Egypt_."

"That sure is quite a fancy name!" Luigi said. "Hey, what are these in the wall?"

"What?" Mario said. "What are looking at?"

"Look!"

Luigi pointed to four small and strange-shaped holes in the wall that had elaborate depictions of evil Pokey cacti. Mario examined them up close.

"They almost look like key holes." Mario said. "I don't know. What do the ancient hieroglyphics say, Luigi? You're the expert on dead languages."

"I'm not _that _great of an expert!" Luigi said. "My knowledge of ancient languages is severely limited!"

"Not as limited as _my _knowledge!" Mario said.

"SHH! I'm trying to concentrate!" Luigi said.

"Hurry, before the flame goes out!" Mario said.

"Wait..." Luigi said. "I think I picked up on something."

* * *

**I do apologize for the long wait on this chapter. I've been having bad writer's block, so I don't expect anyone to get much out of this chapter other than a large dose of curiosity for what will happen next. I promise that the next chapter will bring more excitement! No excuses!**

**The brothers are now inside of the large middle pyramid. Upon reaching the central room and waiting out a Koopa 'search', the brothers illuminate the room and find four small 'keyholes' in the wall. Luigi, being an amateur at reading dead languages, has just discovered something. What in the world did he see? The answer will be revealed the next time I update. Stay tuned! :)**

**saturn95**


	37. Part 2, Chapter 17

**17**

"What are you picking up on, Luigi?" Mario asked in a curious tone. "Do you see something that looks important?"

"I think so." Luigi said. "But I also think I saw this before. Can you hand me the book?"

"Sure." Mario replied.

Luigi took the Crystal Star book from Mario and flipped through the pages until he reached the section on the star buried in Sarasaland.

"Ah! Here we go! Just as I suspected!" Luigi said. "There is a section that mentions of a riddle buried in this pyramid that has the same picture notations as the hieroglyphics we're reading on the wall! It corresponds perfectly to what we see here!"

"What does the riddle say?" Mario asked.

"It says: _To find the four keys to the dreaded red star, one must look to the points of great importance. One can find these points with a keen eye in each of the main cardinal directions from this point._"

"What do you suppose that means?" Mario asked.

"It mentions the _main cardinal directions_ in the riddle." Luigi said. "In other words, we need to look for the keys directly north, east, south, and west from here."

"I wish I had a compass." Mario said.

"We don't need one." Luigi replied. "The pyramid itself can serve as a useful compass. When the sun rises, we can easily determine our directions. After all, it does rise in the east, does it not?"

"True." Mario said. "But what about the part of the riddle that mentions '_One can find these points with a keen eye_'?" Mario asked.

"That simply means we need to look very closely to our surroundings." Luigi said. "Unless..."

"Unless, what?" Mario asked.

"Let me think for minute..." Luigi asked. "I think that might have a different meaning."

"What do you mean?" Mario asked.

"There are other sites around these pyramids that aren't too far away from here that do in fact lie squarely around the pyramid and they do correspond to directions of a compass. There's an underground cave just north of the pyramid in the hillside. To the south, where we came from, there's a small entrance that leads down into the labyrinths below. To the east, there's the neighboring pyramid and to the west is the other neighboring pyramid and the ancient temples just beyond it."

"So, what you're telling me is that we have to locate fours key to open a door to what I assume is the next Crystal Star?" Mario asked.

"Unfortunately, that means we are indeed stuck in another wild goose chase!" Luigi said. "And since the star is red, I assume that we are after the Ruby Crystal Star."

"Mamma mia!" Mario said. "We should probably head out right now. The fire is almost gone and I don't want to be stuck in the dark and get caught by any wretched Koopas."

"Well, let's go." Luigi said.

* * *

The brothers climbed their way up the slanted hallway and emerged outside under the moon, which was now starting to make its way into the west. There was also a slight desert breeze coming from the same direction.

"I say we should follow the direction of the wind towards the temples." Mario said.

"What made you decide to go into the wind?" Luigi asked.

"Nothing." Mario said. "Maybe the wind was a signal that we should search in the temples first? I don't know! I'm just a little loopy from being up almost all night!" Mario said.

"I see." Luigi said, yawning. "I know how you feel. But of course, we can't just fall asleep anywhere! We have to get to that second star before Bowser does."

"No duh!" Mario said. "I've only heard that statement and similar statements a million times already!"

"Well, excuse me!" Luigi said.

"Sorry, Luigi. I'm really tired." Mario said.

_And cranky_! Luigi thought.

The brothers slowly climbed back down the pyramid and made their way back to the ground where they started heading towards the west. The temples were about two miles away and the brothers had no other way of reaching them besides on their tired feet. Luigi suddenly collapsed to the ground.

"Luigi! What are you doing?! Get up!" Mario said.

"My feet are blistered, I can feel it!" Luigi said. "It hurts so badly!"

"My feet are blistered too." Mario said. "You don't see me collapsing on the ground, do you? Now come on, brother! It's not even day time yet! That's when we should start worrying!"

Mario helped his brother back onto his feet and they continued their seemingly long trek across the sand towards the ancient temples that guarded the west end of the ancient pyramid site. Indeed, the walk proved to be very challenging, since time to them seemed to be in slow motion under their intoxicating exhaustion.

* * *

The pyramids were now once again giant monolithic structures in the distance as Mario and Luigi approached the ancient temples. The giant ancient pillars before them were covered with ancient inscriptions thousands of years old. There were long and eerie shadows being casted under the bright moonlight. Luigi began to shiver at the foreboding sight.

"Something about this place doesn't feel right, Mario." Luigi said.

"Not again." Mario said. "What doesn't feel right?"

"Bowser's troops are probably searching for us in there!" Luigi said. "I don't want to risk being discovered here!"

"I don't either, but we didn't come a full two miles out here for nothing!" Mario said. "We need to find those four keys. Let's go."

"Okay." Luigi said.

The brothers entered the ancient temple and started weaving through the tall pillars, staying in the shadows to stay clear from any possible danger. Mario suddenly froze and Luigi bumped into him.

"Why did you stop?" Luigi asked.

"Let's stay quiet." Mario whispered. "I think I heard footsteps."

Just as that was said, the brothers immediately turned around after hearing the mysterious footstep noises. Strangely there was no one seen making them. The brothers began to shiver.

"Let's keep going before we get caught!" Luigi whispered.

The brothers were about to take their next steps when the heard the footsteps again. This time, they were much closer.

"I think its coming from behind this pillar!" Mario whispered.

The brothers slowly peeked around the pillar, but they were dismayed when they once again discovered no one standing where the noise was coming from. It was now completely quiet as Mario and Luigi slowly turned around. Not even the rustling wind was heard making any sounds. It was _too quiet_. When the brothers turned around, they screamed at the sight of a Hammer Brother. Their hearts were now racing out of control.

"SURPRISE!" said the Hammer Brother, throwing a deadly sharp hammer at Mario and Luigi, almost hitting one of them in the head! Luckily, they managed to dodge it with an extra surge of adrenaline running through their bodies. They ran behind the next pillar to prepare themselves for another battle.

* * *

**Yikes! The brothers seemed to have walked into a trap! Now, they have to prepare for another deadly battle against Bowser's 'minions' and find four keys to gain access to the second crystal star! Ugh! How could it get any worse? Easy...it is still just the beginning of the epic quest...there's still plenty of things to come...**

**The temple idea was actually an inspiration I gained from looking at photographs of the Temple of Karnak in Egypt. Although the temple itself is not located anywhere near the Pyramids in Giza, I still thought it would be cool to include a similar temple in Sarasaland, and of course change it to fit into Mario environment. **

**This will definitely be a cliff-hanger for the next chapter. I might not update until after Christmas, but who knows, I might. If I don't, then I'll see all of you afterwards. Happy holidays everyone! :)**

**saturn95**


	38. Part 2, Chapter 18

**18**

With their chests pounding wildly out of control, Mario and Luigi were quick to pull out two fire flowers from the rucksack. The Hammer Brother started to draw towards the brothers' hiding spot.

"I knew someone was following us!" Luigi said.

"I did too." Mario said.

The Hammer Brother laughed.

"I can hear you guys!" he said. "Don't think you can hide from me, because you can't! It is time you two to surrender to the evil Bowser once and for all!"

"And what if we don't?" Mario asked sarcastically.

"You will die." the Hammer Brother replied.

"I'm not convinced." Mario replied.

"Alright! Will this convince you?!"

The Hammer Brother wielded his hammer and threw towards the brothers and blasted through the large pillar they were hiding behind. The upper half of the tall structure began to collapse and the brothers were quick to jump out of the way before getting crushed by the heavy stone, which landed with a loud thud. They were now out in the open.

"There you guys are!" said the Hammer Brother. "Time to meet your fate!"

The brothers rubbed the flowers into their hands and activated their fire abilities. They each threw a fire ball at the enemy, but the amazed Hammer Brother managed to dodge it.

"What the hell did you just do?!" he said. "The flowers...!"

"What about them?!" Luigi asked.

"They're powerful!" said the Hammer Brother.

"Really? You just figured that out?!" Mario said, throwing another fireball at the deranged enemy. This time it hit and the Koopa fell to the ground unconscious with a third-degree burn on his chest. More footsteps were heard around the pillars of the temple and the brothers prepared for another wave of enemies to appear at any moment.

"I think we're surrounded!" Luigi whispered.

"THERE THEY ARE!" shouted another Hammer Brother from a nearby hiding spot. Almost instantaneously, a whole band of Hammer Koopas were running at the two brothers with their deadly weapons and the brothers were quick to start firing at them with fire.

"Mario! Look out!" Luigi shouted.

Mario turned around and ducked as a hammer barely missed his head.

"Luigi! Behind you!" Mario shouted back.

Luigi quickly turned around and slapped two Hammer Brothers to the ground with his bare fists. He went to go help his brother when another Koopa jumped on top of him and held him down to the ground like a metal clamp.

"Let...go...of...me!" Luigi said.

"I don't think I can do that." said the Hammer Brother. "You and your brother killed off Bowser's raid in Birachai. You honestly think I would let you go after you did something like that?! You're crazy!"

"Not...as...crazy...as...you!" Luigi replied.

"EAT THIS!" Mario shouted from behind the Hammer Brother. The enemy turned around and was greeted with huge blow to the head with a hammer. Luigi pushed the dead Koopa away and helped himself back onto his feet.

"Thanks, bro!" Luigi said.

"It's about time they got a tasted of their own medicine!" Mario said. "Come on! Let's go to the temple entrance!"

The two brothers started running towards the entrance, when they saw another small wave of Hammer Brothers emerge from behind the pillars.

"Mamma mia!" Mario shouted. "I don't have time for this!"

"Mario! The bag!" Luigi said. "Get a couple of ice flowers!"

"What?!" Mario said.

"JUST DO IT!" Luigi shouted.

Mario did as he said and gave one of the blue flowers to Luigi. When the powers were activated, they went after the oncoming the crowd of Koopas and started freezing them with deadly snowballs.

"Why don't you guys _cool down_ for a change?!" Mario shouted as he performed a somersault over three Hammer Brothers and welded them together with icy wind. He took the hammer he used earlier and blew their bodies to shards to ensure they would never see the light of day again.

"Hang on, Luigi! I've got your back!" Mario shouted as he saw his brother struggle with the two last enemies.

"Your brother will die!" shouted on of the Hammer Brothers.

"Not if I can help it!" Mario said, blasting a current icy wind in their direction. They dodged it and left Luigi on the ground where they held him. Mario ran over and helped him up.

"I'll take care of one of them." Luigi said. "You take care of the other."

"Got it." Mario replied.

The two remaining Hammer Brothers did not appear to show any mercy as Mario and Luigi approached them angrily.

"What are you two going to do? Freeze us?!" one of them taunted.

"Oh, now you're definitely messing with a son of a bitch!" Mario said.

With their last bit of powerful energy, the brothers sent a freezing wave of ice at the two Hammer Brothers and instantly froze them in their place. Their unbalanced body positions caused them to fall to the ground and shatter and the brothers breathed a huge sigh of relief as their powers started to leave their bodies again. They were exhausted from the fight.

"You know," Luigi said, "I think I could get used to this."

"I think I'm already used to it!" Mario said. "Come on, let's go."

* * *

The brothers finished walking down the pillar "hall" and approached the towering temple building and the dark entrance. The building was made of the same stone as the giant pillars and looked as though they were cut by a laser. There were obvious signs of weathering from the elements and also fading inscriptions along the outside walls.

"This place is amazing." Luigi said.

"It sure is." Mario said. "This is history we're looking at here!"

"Yes, definitely." Luigi said. "Hey, Mario. Do you think finding the keys will be difficult?"

"Based on what we've already been through, there's no question in my mind that anything we do is going to be difficult, especially with that big fat-ass dictator running loose trying to kill us."

"_WHO ARE YOU CALLING FAT_?!" said a deep voice from behind the brothers.

Mario and Luigi's hearts sank as they turned around and saw the scariest being to ever roam the world.

"_Bowser_!" They both said in unison. The King of Koopas simply gave out an evil laugh.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the Mario Brothers! We meet again."

"Unfortunately." Mario said. Bowser just laughed.

"You two look just about as dumb as when I raided your home and took the princesses away from you. Who was the strange dark-haired lady that was with you earlier this evening?"

"Nobody you'd be interested in!" Luigi said.

"Oh really? Then how come she was helping you two escape from Birachai?! I assume that she was the reason you two were able to escape before I was able to slit your throats!"

"ALRIGHT, ENOUGH BULLSHIT!" Mario shouted. "Where are the princesses?!"

"Where's my Crystal Star?!" Bowser said. "You have it with you, don't you?!"

"Yes, and there's no reason why we should give it to you!" Luigi said. "We don't want to see you or anyone else like you take into their hands and use it for their own mindless destruction!"

"Well, if that's how you to put it..." Bowser began. "Tell you what...if you give me that star, I'll tell you where the princesses are."

"We're not taking any negotiations from an evil dictator who plans on destroying the world!" Mario said.

"Neither would someone else that confronted me a while back." Bowser replied. "I think you might be familiar with this person."

"I don't think you know what you're talking about you shithead!" Luigi said. "Just tell us where Princess Peach and Princess Daisy are and no one will get hurt!"

"BULLSHIT!" Bowser shouted, breathing large flames at the two brothers. Luckily, they were able to dodge them. "YOU KNOW I DON'T BELIEVE A WORD YOU ARE SAYING! BESIDES, HOW CAN I BELIEVE YOU TWO WHEN CLEARLY YOU GUYS HATE MY GUTS?!"

"Well, of course we hate your guts!" Mario said. "Why else would we be trying to steal the Crystal Stars from you?!"

Bowser paused.

"Which reminds me...You know your little friend that helped you two out of Birachai. Yeah, I captured her too!"

"WHAT?! YOU DIDN'T!" Mario said.

"Oh, but I did." Bowser said. "She'll be taken under my custody with the princesses. Since you two have been eluding me for far too long, it is time for you two to realize that there are consequences for your actions..."

Bowser suddenly breathed fire at the two brothers again, who were now standing in the entrance of the temple. They dodged the flames again.

"YOU HAVE THE REST OF THIS WEEK AND NEXT WEEK TO FIND THE PRINCESSES AND YOUR FRIEND! IF YOU DON'T FIND THEM IN TIME, THEY WILL DIE!"

"NOOOO!" Luigi yelled.

Bowser gave out his evil laugh once again and then pounded the ground, causing an earthquake to occur. The brothers felt the ground beneath them rumble as large stone bricks started raining from the ceiling. Mario and Luigi dodged every single stone, but found themselves trapped inside the temple as the bricks blocked the entrance. When the earthquake ended, Mario and Luigi heard another evil laugh coming from outside.

"YOU BASTARD!" Luigi shouted.

"Better luck next time, bitches!" Bowser said as he left the temple entrance. "Time's ticking away as we speak..."

The brothers were trapped in the dark of the temple and Bowser was outside making his way out of the temple leaving them for dead. Mario tried pulling the blocks out of the way, but they were too heavy, even for him to move.

"This can't be happening!" Mario said. "We're trapped!"

"You think I don't know that already!" Luigi cried as tears rolled down his face. "I'm frustrated enough already to know that the princesses' lives are in danger! What are we going to do?!"

"I don't know." Mario said. "All I can say is that we can't give up just yet."

Mario took a fire flower from the rucksack and gained its powers. He formed a fire ball in his hand and illuminated the dark hallway.

"This hall seems to go on forever." Mario said. "I think it goes underground to the sacred worshipping room."

"That's probably all it leads to." Luigi sobbed.

"Wait!" Mario said. "I think I see a light!"

"What?"

* * *

**Hey, everyone! I am back from the grave! Since it has been a while, I figured that making a longer chapter would be nice for change, so that's what I did.**

**Mario and Luigi have survived another fight against Bowser's allies and reached the entrance to the ancient temple. However, it was there that they encounter Bowser himself, who attempts to strike a deal with the brothers regarding who gets to possess the diamond Crystal Star. The brothers obviously refuse to give it up, but they are given strict deadline of less than two weeks to find the princesses, after which they would be murdered by Bowser. Now, the brothers are sealed inside the ancient temple which there seems to be no escape route, until Mario sees a mysterious glow at the end of the small tunnel. What could it be?**

**I hope that everyone out there has had a great holiday! I should be updating at my regular pace now, so keep your eyes open and I'll see you when the next chapter comes around, as always. See ya! :)**

**saturn95**


	39. Part 2, Chapter 19

**19**

Luigi looked into the pitch-black hall and saw what Mario was talking about. It was a subtle orange glow that kept growing brighter and then dimmer again almost like a firefly.

"What is that, Mario?" Luigi said, wiping his tears.

"I don't know." Mario replied. "I'm not sure if I like the looks of it."

"I'm scared." Luigi said.

Suddenly, the bright glow stopped and the only light left was the fireball in Mario's hand. The brothers were puzzled. What in the world would be causing the bright aura? Was it another Koopa Troop? Is it something other than that? They could only guess.

"Come on, Luigi. Let's go." Mario said. "Hopefully there is another passage somewhere that will take us back outside."

Mario and Luigi started walking down the hall and into the darkness. The only noises in the tunnel were the brothers' sandy footsteps and the burning fireball.

"Here, take one of these." Luigi said, handing Mario an unlit torch that had been suspended on the wall. Just as he was once again losing his fire powers, Mario was able to light the torch and save the light. They no longer had to use the fire flowers.

"Thanks, bro." Mario said as they continued down the hall.

"No problem." Luigi replied.

The farther Mario and Luigi ventured, the darker their surroundings seemed to get, despite having already being trapped in pitch-black darkness. The brothers now found themselves walking down a staircase which lead them deeper underground and going in the other direction under the temple columns just outside the entrance of the tunnel. They were beginning to shiver in the oppressing presence of limited sight.

"This place is giving me the creeps!" Mario said. "At least there aren't any ghosts."

"Don't say that!" Luigi said. "Now there's going to be ghosts! You jinxed it."

"You don't know that." Mario said. "Let's just hope that you're wrong."

Suddenly, the orange glow appeared again, this time even farther down the new hallway, revealing two other hallways that were seen branching out from it. And, just like that, it was gone and the darkness took over once again.

"This is really starting to freak me out!" Luigi said. "What the hell was that?"

"Well, at least we can say that it's not another Koopa Troop." Mario said. "But whatever that was, I'm convinced that it's something paranormal. I'm sorry, but that's what I think."

"Oh dear..." Luigi said, trying to hide his ever-growing fear.

"Don't worry, brother." Mario replied. "Let's continue."

The two brothers slowly and cautiously made their way down the creepy tunnel. The flame that Mario carried in his hand was starting to get dimmer already and there was no way that it was going to be lit again, for the wood was already black and full of embers. He kept blowing on it to increase the life of the flame.

"Which way are we going to go?" Luigi asked as him and his brother approached the two branching halls at the end. "Were you able to see exactly where the glow went? I think it went right."

"I'm not too sure either, bro." Mario said.

Suddenly, the brothers heard the sound of wicked laughter coming from all around them. It did not sound like Koopa laughter in the slightest.

"That laughter..." Luigi shivered. "I've heard it before...I'm scared!"

"Where have you heard it before?" Mario asked.

"I hear Boos inside these walls!" Luigi said in a terrified tone of voice.

"Take it easy, Luigi!" Mario pleaded.

The laughter occurred again and Mario began to shiver too. It was coming from all around them and was getting ever closer. Luigi was absolutely petrified.

"I can't take much more of this!" Luigi said. "I'm gonna die!"

"No you're not!" Mario said.

Then, out of nowhere, ten Boo ghosts emerged from the wall and caught sight of the two brothers. They had their tongues sticking out at them and showed their razor-like teeth along with their evil eyes. Luigi was completely petrified as his phasmophobia got the best of him.

"OH MY GOD!" Luigi screamed. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" He turned down the left hall and ran as fast as he could to get away from the frightening ghosts. Five of the Boos started chasing after Luigi into the dark.

"Luigi!" Mario cried. The five remaining Boo ghosts turned around and started getting closer to Mario.

"Oh, shit!" he said to himself as the Boos came at him fast. He then started running down the right passage, keeping the wooden fire stick in his right hand. The Boos' laughter echoed behind Mario viciously. Suddenly, Mario tripped and fell on the ground, dropping the fire stick in the process. He felt a severe stinging pain in his knee. Mario reached out and touched it and found that his right pant leg was wet in his own blood where he was scraped.

"Damn it!" Mario cried, trying to ignore the intense pain. There were no green mushrooms left in the rucksack, so he had no choice but to deal with the pain. The Boos kept getting closer as Mario struggled to get back onto his feet. The Boos hovered above Mario and laughed at the sight him being hurt. Mario looked up at them and glared.

"You think that's funny don't ya?!" Mario threatened. "I'll show you funny!"

Mario swung the fire stick at the ghosts and caused them to hide their faces and float back into the walls.

"I'm not afraid of you guys!" Mario continued when he heard Luigi's muffled screams coming from the left hallway.

"MARIO! HELP ME!" he cried.

_Don't worry, Luigi_! _I'm coming to save you_! Mario thought as he ran back towards the other hall, despite the pain he felt in his right knee.

"I'm coming, Luigi!" Mario shouted as he returned to the main hall and continued straight into the left hall. It was hard for him to run, especially since the cut on his knee was rubbing hard against the leg of his overalls. Still, he wasted no time and continued after his frightened brother to save him from the Boo ghosts.


	40. Part 2, Chapter 20

**20**

Mario spotted Luigi trapped in the corner of a room at the end of the hall that had natural, unscathed sandstone walls and a plethora of ancient sculptures depicting gods. Mario knew that he was now in the worshipping room. The five remaining Boos that scared Luigi off were hovering above him, feeding off of his own fear.

"MARIO! HELP!" Luigi shouted across the room as he spotted Mario standing in the entrance.

Mario could see the expression on his brother's face. It was one of complete disturbance and terror that could only otherwise be expressed either by the sudden witnessing of a violent crime, or by a sudden loss. It was an expression that has not been expressed by his brother ever since the gruesome murder of their foster parents over ten years ago.

"Here, brother! Catch this!" Mario shouted, throwing the torch to his brother. "They're afraid of the flame!"

As the torch fell to the ground, Luigi suddenly became brave and dived for the flame and pointed it in the direction of the Boo ghosts with a shaky arm. His phobia of ghosts made it feel as though it were a matter of life and death, even though he was now safe from them.

"GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Luigi shouted. "I DON'T WANT YOU ANYWHERE NEAR ME!"

As he swung the fire stick at the ghosts, they immediately hid their faces and gave a shrill shriek as they flew out of the room. Mario ran up to Luigi and helped him back on his feet. He had a very hard time keeping his body still.

"Are you alright, Luigi?" Mario asked. "Did they hurt you?"

"No..." Luigi replied, still frightened by his ghostly encounter. "I'm so scared, Mario..."

Luigi began to weep and embrace his brother.

"Everything's alright now." Mario said, ushering Luigi to calm down. "It's over."

"They're still here!" Luigi said. "They'll come after us again!"

"Not if I can help it!" Mario said. "If they wanted to hurt you, they'd have to get through me first!"

Luigi stopped crying and gave a slight smile to his brother.

"Thank you for saving me, brother." Luigi said. "I don't know what I would've done without your help!"

"I really do think that you should at least try to get over your fear of ghosts." Mario said. "You can't live with those kinds of fears forever."

"I know." Luigi said. "But I just can't help myself. My bad experiences with ghosts seemed to leave a permanent scare in my brain..."

"Don't think like that." Mario said. "I'm sure you'll get over your fear eventually. Now come on, let's get out of this room and continue down the right tunnel."

Suddenly, Luigi was quick to notice a large wound on Mario's leg.

"What happened to your leg?" Luigi asked. "It's all bloody."

"I was clumsy when I was running from those other ghosts." Mario replied.

"Will you be alright?" Luigi asked.

"Yeah, I think I manage without a green mushroom."

Mario paused.

"We should probably get out of here. Let's find a way out of here."

"Wait!" Luigi said. "Let's look around for a moment. I have a feeling that there is something in here that might help us."

"Like what?" Mario asked. "I don't see anything that could possibly help us."

"There's something about the arrangement of the statues that seems weird." Luigi said. "There all arranged in a circular pattern. I wonder if that had any significance."

"I don't know, Luigi." Mario said. "They all seem like normal statues to me."

Mario walked slowly around the room and tried to make sense of what Luigi was trying to suggest, but was unable to until he came across something unusual on the floor in the center of the room. He looked down and saw a reddish glint in the dying light of the torch in Luigi's hand. He became intrigued.

"Luigi, bring the torch over here." Mario said, kneeling on the floor. "I think I found something."

"What is it?" Luigi asked.

"Come over here and tell me, because I have no clue!" Mario said.

"Pull out the book, it might be something important!" Luigi said.

Mario pulled out the book and Luigi kneeled down on the floor next to his brother and examined the strange shiny red floor tile, which was in the shape of a star.

"Hmm..." Luigi said. "There's very fine writing around it, and it's written in the same dead language as the riddle inside the pyramid."

"Can you decipher it?" Mario asked.

"No." Luigi said. "Not easily. There should be a page with character translations in it that can help us with this puzzle."

Mario flipped through the pages until he was barely able to find the table of translations. The light from the torch was now becoming very dim and the brothers were almost plunged into darkness.

"We might have to go back to using fire flowers again." Mario said, as he retrieved a couple of the flowers from the rucksack. "This torch isn't lasting very long."

Mario rubbed the flower in his hand and formed a fireball to see what he was looking at. He took a look at the strange characters on the floor and slowly translated the message.

"You're gonna like what this says." Mario said. "If I'm reading this right, the message on the floor says: _When the eyes of the gods are facing each other, their energies will combine and reveal an invaluable clue._"

"That's weird." Luigi said. "The only way they can face each other is if they are in a circle...wait a minute..."

Luigi looked around the room at the eight statues that circled the center of the room and saw that none of them were facing the red floor tile. _Of course_! Luigi thought. _We have to rotate the statues_!

"What is it, Luigi?" Mario asked.

"I think I know the answer to that riddle!" Luigi said. "If you look at all the statues, you can see that none of them are facing the center of the room."

"So what you're saying is that we have to move the statues so that they _are _facing the center of the room?" Mario asked.

"I believe so." Luigi said.

Mario smiled.

"Should we try it?" Mario asked.

"I suppose." Luigi said. "I'm still wondering what the _invaluable clue _is referring to. Could it be referring to something important?"

"Well, there's only one way to find out!" Mario said. "Come help me rotate these heavy suckers!"

The statues themselves were already resting on pivoting platforms, which made them much easier to move, hence confirming Mario and Luigi's interpretation of the ancient text. They went around the room until all eight statues were facing the center of the room. Suddenly, the red star tile in middle began to glow bright as beams of magic red light were shot into it from the statues, creating a profound spectacle before the brothers' eyes. Then, the ground began to rumble slightly.

"What's going on?" Luigi asked.

Almost at the same moment the mini earthquake intensified, the red star exploded in a flash of blinding white light, only to be replaced by what looked like a large golden key. The red beams of light suddenly disappeared and the ground quit shaking, leaving Mario and Luigi in the dark once again. With his fireball still in hand, Mario reached down and grabbed the large key.

"It looks about the same size as the four keyholes inside the pyramid!" Mario said. "I think we found one of the keys, Luigi! Way to go, brother!"

The brothers high-fived as the fire started to fizzle out. A few seconds later, Mario and Luigi were once again in pitch-blackness.

"We need more light!" Luigi said.

"Hold on, Luigi. I have another fire flower." Mario replied. "We need to find a way out of this underground temple."

Mario was about the use the next flower, when something from the room entrance caught both of the brothers' attention. They turned and saw the mysterious orange glow once again. They watched as it seemed to move down the hall from where they entered.

"Should we follow it?" Luigi asked.

"It may not be a bad idea." Mario replied. "Come on. Let's go."

Mario put the key inside the rucksack and both he and Luigi started nervously making their way back down the hall. As they reached the intersection, they saw the orange light making its way down the other hall, where the brothers have yet to explore...

* * *

**One key found, three more to go! **

**The brothers are now wandering through the dark tunnels in search of another way out. The nature of the orange light is still in question, but the brothers are very sure that it is paranormal, especially after being attacked by ten Boos! Everything that is happening at this point is bleak and mysterious for the brothers, but will they solve these mysteries as their journey continues? If so, how long before it happens? For now, I will leave these questions open for you to answer! See ya in the next chapter! :)**

**saturn95**


	41. Part 2, Chapter 21

**21**

Back in Bowser's Castle, Peach and Daisy were sound asleep when Kamek entered the stony room. Enraged for not being able to assist Bowser in capturing in the Mario Brothers, he now had to deal with the uncooperative princesses on his own. Not only that, but he also had to deal with another feisty prisoner, which he was carrying in a bag on his broomstick. She was captured right as Bowser neared the Sarasalandian pyramids and was ordered by Bowser to use his long-distance teleportation spell to return her back to the castle, even though Kamek could only use the spell on average once every three days. The reason being was that it required a lot of energy to use and it weakened him to the point of almost having no magic at all. Therefore, he was unable to easily help Bowser locate the Mario Brothers, despite his amazing magic abilities.

"Anyone who helps the Mario Brothers escape from their fate is punished by imprisonment!" Kamek shouted to the new prisoner, who was trying to wrestle her way out of the large body bag.

"LET ME GO YOU FUCKING JERK!" the woman shouted.

"I don't think that will be necessary!" Kamek replied.

Peach was suddenly awake when she heard the commotion happen, but she made it look as though she were still asleep. She heard the cage door open and felt a hard thump on the bottom of the cage where the new prisoner was laying face down. The door closed and Kamek's evil laughter was heard echoing through the large room.

"YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS!" said the woman. But Kamek just ignored her and left the room. Peach opened her eyes and sat up to see the new prisoner. She had dark brown hair, pale skin, and was wearing a red dress. The woman turned and saw Peach wake up and was frightened.

"There, there. Take it easy!" Peach said. "We know how you feel."

The woman studied Peach for just a moment and quickly recognized who she was.

"A...are you Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom?" she asked in a shaky tone.

"Yes." Peach said. "How did you know?"

"I recognize you from the media and from Mario's description." said the woman. "I also recognize Princess Daisy behind you."

"Wait a second..." Peach asked. "You know a man by the name of Mario?! Say, you don't happen to be referring to the Mario who has a brother named Luigi and are both trying to the save the world are you?"

"Yes I am actually." said the woman. "I'm the one who helped him and Luigi escape from Bowser's invasion in Birachai just a few hours ago."

"You helped them escape?!" Peach asked. "YOU'RE AMAZING! Might I ask what your name is?"

"Yes." said the woman. "My name is Pauline."

"Nice to meet you." Peach said, shaking her hand. "I think I've see you before. Didn't we used to attend the same school in Toad Town at one point?"

"I don't recall." Pauline said. "As far as I remember, there weren't any other girls that had your name."

"I was actually under a different name at the time, but only when I was in school." Peach said. "Do you remember a girl by the name of Penelope?"

"Now that I think about it she did look a lot like...Wait..._you_ were Penelope?" Pauline asked.

"Yes, indeed." Peach said. "Do you also remember Delia? That was Daisy!"

"You're kidding!" Pauline said.

"I'm not kidding." Peach replied.

Suddenly, Daisy started to wake up from her sleep.

"Peach? What's going on?" she asked. Then she saw Pauline.

"Daisy, do you remember Pauline from school a few years ago?" Peach asked.

"Pauline?" Daisy asked. "How on Earth did you end up here?!"

"She was captured after she helped Mario and Luigi escape from Bowser's invasion of Birachai in Sarasaland just a few hours ago!" Peach said.

"You saved Mario and Luigi?!" Daisy asked in disbelief. "I don't know what to say! All I can say is thank heavens they're still alive!"

"I'm happy too." Pauline said. "After all, Mario saved me twice in the past. First from a giant crazed ape who likes to throw barrels and then just yesterday he and Luigi saved me from a burning train wreck!"

"We saw that on Bowser's television monitor." Daisy said. "He was really pissed when he found out that Mario and Luigi were still alive and decided to attack Birachai!"

"Good." Pauline replied. "That rotten satanic figure deserves it!"

The three girls laughed.

"So, where in the world are we?" Pauline asked.

"We're inside Bowser's Castle in the Darklands." Peach said.

"What?!" Pauline said. "It seems as though I was in Sarasaland not too long ago!"

"It's Kamek's magic." Daisy said.

"Kamek? Is he the strange-looking Koopa that was riding the broomstick and had me thrown in this cage?" Pauline asked.

"Yep." Daisy said. "He's Bowser's assistant."

"I would've guessed."

The three girls sat in silence for a few moments. Then, Pauline started looking around the cage.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Pauline asked.

"There's no way we can escape!" Peach said. "Bowser has the cage locked up pretty good."

"Let me take a look at the lock." Pauline said. "I have an idea."

Pauline stood up and went over to the locked door and examined the lock for a few moments. Then, she shook her head.

"Well, I guess Bowser does have this gate locked pretty well." Pauline said. "_But not that good_!"

"What are you talking about?" Daisy asked.

Pauline said nothing as she pulled from her pocket what looked like a tiny hair pin. Peach and Daisy watched anxiously as she inserted the hair pin into the keyhole to pick it. Suddenly, there was a loud CLICK!

"What did you do?" Peach asked.

Pauline answered her question by opening the cage door. Peach and Daisy's jaws dropped.

"How did you do that?!" Daisy asked.

"I'll tell you later." Pauline asked. "Come on, let's get out of here and see if we can find a way out! I'm not guaranteeing that we'll make it out, but it's worth a shot."

"What about Mario and Luigi?" Peach asked. "They still think we're trapped!"

"If we do get out of here, we'll find a way to reach them." Pauline asked. "They're still in Sarasaland right now searching for one of the Crystal Stars. I'm sure you two already know about Bowser's evil intentions, right?"

"It's hard to _not_ know about it." Daisy said. "Especially after being trapped here for four days!"

"I see." Pauline replied. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Slowly and quietly, the three girls climbed out of the cage and made their way to floor and started running softly towards the door leading out of the room. Their hearts started racing out of control as they started walking across a bridge dangling over a river of lava. They could not help but fear for their lives as the thought of trying to escape from the grasp of an evil dictator infested their minds.

"I'm so scared!" Peach said.

"Me too, Peach." Daisy said.

"Don't worry; we're almost to the other side." Pauline said to them as she lead the way.

After the girls made it to the other side and through another doorway, they reached another hallway with many doors leading to many different areas of the underground complex. They were clearly lost and had no idea where they going. With no Koopas roaming the hall, there was constant anticipatory tension, making Peach, Daisy, and Pauline absolutely terrified at the thought of what could happen next.

* * *

**Whoa! Looks like Pauline is much smarter than she looks! After reuniting with 'Penelope' and 'Delia' (Peach and Daisy), they all managed to escape from their cage with the help of Pauline's hair pin (apparently, she has too much time on her hands for her to know how to escape from a locked room!). Now, they are confronted with an even bigger challenge: finding the exit! Sounds simple, right?**

**How long can the three girls go without being noticed by any Koopa Troops? Will they be able to make it out, or will they find themselves imprisoned again?**

**By the way, in case I haven't mentioned this already (unless you already picked up on it), the lava bridge is a classic reference to the boss battles from the original Super Mario Bros. game where Mario breaks down the bridge with an ax to defeat each boss battle with Bowser at the end of each of the eight world.**

**Anyway, I will see you again when I update! Things are starting to get a little bit more interesting :)**

**saturn95**


	42. Part 2, Chapter 22

**22**

Bowser watched as a second airship touched down onto the desert plain just over half a mile away. The sky was getting slightly brighter as the light of the morning sun started to break the darkness. Now that the brothers were out of the way for the time being, he could back to finding the other Crystal Stars. There was still one problem: the brothers were still in possession of the Diamond Star.

"Those damned brothers!" Bowser said to himself as he watched the second airship come to a halt. "They may have gotten this far, but I'm certain that this will be as far as they'll ever go!"

As Bowser continued walking back over to the 'base', he was quick to notice three Koopas running towards him. They began yelling out his name.

"Bowser! Bowser!" one of them shouted as all three approached him tiredly. "There's no sign of the brothers anywhere inside any of the pyramids!"

"Wanna know why?" Bowser asked. "That's because they're trapped inside the western temple with no way out!"

"Wait...you trapped them inside the temple?!" another Koopa said. "They have the Diamond Star!"

"I realize that!" Bowser said. "That's why we wait until they die inside the temple to retrieve it."

"Ah I see."

"Have any of you heard from Kamek since he took in that strange woman?" Bowser asked.

"Only once." said the third Koopa. "However, he did seem rather upset when he had to leave. He wanted to help you capture the Mario Brothers."

"Yeah, I know." Bowser said. "But I didn't want to risk having that woman help the Mario Brothers get their way! She had to be captured!"

"We understand sir." said the first Koopa. "But aren't you going to do something more about the Mario Brothers? What if they manage to escape somehow?"

"They can't escape!" Bowser said. "The temple has virtually no other tunnels that lead outside other than the entrance. There's no way the brothers can get out, especially with all of the heavy boulders that are blocking the entrance right now."

"Are you sure?" asked the second Koopa.

"I'M PRETTY DAMNED SURE THAT THEY AREN'T GOING ANYWHERE SOON!" Bowser yelled. "No more questions! My brain is killing me right now! Come on, let's head back to the camp."

* * *

Bowser and the three Koopas walked the remaining half mile and entered the campsite where a whole new wave of Koopa reinforcements was waiting for Bowser's commands. Most of the reinforcements were red-shelled Koopas, but there were also a few green-shelled Koopas in the mix. They all saluted to Bowser as he approached them with his usual mean glare.

"Good morning, troops!" Bowser said. "Let me start with our current situation. The Mario Brothers have been temporarily trapped inside the large temple west of these three large pyramids. They still have the Diamond Star with them, which of course is something that we need to carry out our evil operation in less than two weeks."

"What do you suggest we do to retrieve it?" one of the red-shelled Koopas asked.

"I'm getting there!" Bowser said. "However, there is another issue that we need to talk about while you guys are still here. The Ruby Star is still buried somewhere below this pyramid complex. So far, no one has had any success finding it. The only clue that we have are four large keyholes inside the large pyramid that seem to open a hidden door somewhere in the central chamber, which I believe houses another room that contains the star."

"Where are you getting all this information?" one of the Koopas asked.

"I found out from various sources, chiefly from the documents that I recently managed to steal from Rogueport from a professor at the University of Goom. Do you remember?"

"Now I remember!" the Koopa replied.

"Good, because what I want half you guys to do is find me those four keys." Bowser said. "They're all scattered throughout this complex, so look everywhere! The rest of you will help me dig up the wreckage at the front entrance of the temple and help steal the Diamond Star from the Mario Brothers! We need that star! Am I right?!"

"YES SIR!" the army shouted.

"Good! Let's get to work!" Bowser shouted back.

* * *

After he divided the army into two groups, Bowser and his group of men started heading towards the temple in the west. The stars of the night were beginning to disappear as the sky became brighter along the eastern horizon, which displayed brilliant shades of bright pink and orange through dust that was situated high in the atmosphere. The tips of the pyramids were also starting to catch and reflect the primitive light. Small clouds of dust were also developing as light winds started kicking up much of the loose sand that covered the ground.

"It's going to be another hot one here in Sarasaland today!" Bowser said.

"We know." said one of the Koopas. "I checked the readings from our geostationary satellite above Sarasaland and the meteorologists both at our Castle and here in Sarasaland are predicting that today will be the hottest day on record, especially for this time of year."

"Really?" Bowser said. "How hot did they say it will get?"

"It's supposed to get over one hundred and twenty degrees Fahrenheit..." the Koopa replied. "I hope we stay cool when the heat wave comes."

"Me too!" Bowser said. "I never thought it was going to be that hot! DAMN! I FORGOT MY SUNSCREEN!"

Just then, Bowser received a call on his radio device. He pressed the button to speak.

"This is Bowser speaking!" he said.

"Bowser! This is Kamek! I have an urgent message for you!" Kamek said at the other end of the line in a panicked voice. "You're not going to like it!"

"WHAT IS IT?!" Bowser yelled. "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED THIS TIME?!"

"It's that woman that helped the Mario Brothers out of Birachai!" Kamek said. "She picked the lock of the cage and so she and the princesses have escaped!"

"THEY WHAT?!" Bowser said, becoming more flustered than ever before. "HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN?! WHERE WERE THE OTHER GUARDS WHEN THIS HAPPENED?!"

"They were asleep, sir!" Kamek replied.

"WAKE THEM UP DAMN IT!" Bowser shouted. "PUT THE WHOLE CASTLE ON ALERT! YOU CAN'T LET THEM ESCAPE! THEY ARE A VALUABLE ASSET TO OUR PLOT! GO FIND THEM! FIND THEM NOW!"

Bowser paused for a moment before continuing his rant.

"AND LOCK THAT OTHER WOMAN UP VERY GOOD IN A DIFFERENT SPOT! I DON'T WANT HER ESCAPING AGAIN EITHER! YOU DON'T WANT ME GOING BACK THERE TO PUNISH YOU WITH MY FIERY BREATH IF THAT HAPPENS!"

"Yes, sir." Kamek replied.

_SOMEONE IS REALLY GOING TO GET IT THIS TIME!_ he thought. _I'M FUCKING SICK OF ALL THESE NEGATIVE DISTRACTIONS!_

Bowser turned the radio off furiously as he and half of the newly arrive Koopa squad approached the temple. He could not wait to get his hands on the Diamond Star and finally finish off the Mario Brothers. But at the same time, he could not help but think that Mario and Luigi were somehow one step ahead of him...

* * *

**Bowser has just learned that the princesses and Pauline have managed to escape from their imprisonment (obviously not the best news to hear, especially when trying to confront another issue!). Despite this, he continues with the Koopa squad to the temple to find the trapped brothers and steal the Diamond Star from them, even though he said he would wait until they die from starvation (most likely because of the limited time frame). Still, Bowser is stressed from the recent turn of events, and the coming heatwave isn't going to make things much easier.**

**In the next chapter, we will get back to the Mario Brothers as they continue traversing the underground tunnels beneath the temple. They may be in for another interesting surprise... stay tuned!**

**saturn95**


	43. Part 2, Chapter 23

**23**

Mario and Luigi continued following the strange orange glow through a maze of interconnected tunnels. The tunnels were now beginning to look like underground caves and it seemed as though the brothers have wandered over two miles, both forward and down into the earth, although they were unable to tell where they were going. Both brothers were incredibly exhausted and tired from walking for such a prolonged period of time. They had no clue what time it was either.

"Where do you think this path leads?" Luigi asked.

"I'm not sure." Mario said. "But it seems as though we've been wandering for many miles, even though we haven't!"

"My feet are absolutely blistered!" Luigi said. "It feels like I'm walking on sharp spikes! I don't know how much longer I can take this."

"My feet don't fell any better!" Mario said. "But we have to keep going. Remember, Pauline and the princesses are counting on us!"

The orange glow appeared once again as the brothers continued down the seemingly never-ending cave tunnel. It was directing them through upward slanting caves that seemed to be taking them back up to the surface. Suddenly, Mario and Luigi reached a point where the ground began to level off and the cave walls were once again replaced by carved brick stone. Then, the orange light disappeared, leaving both the brothers in complete darkness.

"Where did our light go?" Luigi freaked.

"Hold on, let me get fire flower." Mario said, reaching into the rucksack. "I think we're going to have to get more supplies when the time arrives."

"How are we doing on red mushrooms?" Luigi asked. "I need one to reenergize myself and keep myself awake. Not only that, but I feel famished from not eating anything for a while."

"I know how you feel." Mario said. "Here, take one."

When Mario was able to form a fireball in his hand for light, he took two red mushrooms from the sack and gave one of them to Luigi for a quick energy boost. After taking one bite, both brothers already started to feel more alert of their surroundings.

"Thanks, bro." Luigi said. "I think that will do me for a little while."

"Yeah, me too." Mario replied. "I just wish we could have a normal breakfast again in our own dining room in our own house."

"We don't have a house anymore." Luigi said.

"I know." Mario said. "But I think once we defeat Bowser and save the princesses, we'll be guaranteed a new home. What do you think, Luigi?"

"I don't see why not." he replied. "I mean, we would've done a great deed for the entire world! How could they not be nice to us?!"

The brothers continued down the tunnel and reached what looked like the very end of the tunnel as the light caught the sight of a beautifully decorated mosaic of symbols carved from sandstone and encrusted with lovely multicolored gemstones.

"What is this?!" Luigi asked, touching the wall with his right hand. "Is this a dead end?"

"It sure likes like." Mario said. "But why would that orange light take us this far into the tunnel complex just to lead us to a dead end?"

"Hmm." Luigi said as he studied the gemstones. "I wish I knew, but I know as much as you do."

"There has to be something more here that we're missing!" Mario said. "But what?"

Luigi kept examining the door for any other clues that might be embedded in the stony wall. He looked at the top of the wall and noticed what looked to him like another strange message written on the same dead language that was used before.

"Mario, can you raise your arm so that the fire illuminates the very top of the wall?" Luigi asked.

"Do you see something up there?" Mario asked.

"It looks like another message." Luigi said. "But I can't tell."

Mario raised his arm and let the fire illuminate the top of the sandstone wall. Sure enough, there was another message written up there, but also something even more curious.

"There's a round hole up there too!" Mario said. "What does the message say?"

"I'm not sure, but I might need the book again." Luigi replied. "These messages are not very easy to decipher."

Mario handed Luigi the book and he slowly began to decipher the message. As the letters popped into place, things were starting to look bleak for the two brothers.

"The message reads..." Luigi began. "_Only those who have the missing diamond are permitted to enter. The wrath of the Shadow Queen must not be released again by those who seek her dark legacy; therefore the treasure behind this door is to be locked up for all eternity_."

"This is a door?!" Mario asked.

"Apparently, it is." Luigi replied. "The missing diamond is probably what goes in the hole. But we don't have the missing diamond!"

"Damn it!" Mario shouted. "We came all this way for nothing?! Where are we supposed to find a missing diamond?!"

"I don't know." Luigi replied. "What's this 'treasure' that the message is referring to?"

And then it hit Mario in flash...

"What is it, Mario?" Luigi asked curiously.

"I have an idea."

Mario searched through the rucksack until he found the huge diamond chunk that he found back in diamond cavern two days ago.

"Do you think this will fit into that hole?" Mario asked.

"Let's find out!" Luigi said.

Luigi took the diamond from Mario and brought it close to the large hole at the top of the stone door. Miraculously, the diamond was able to fit perfectly into the slot and so Luigi placed it inside. Suddenly, the wall began to shake.

"I think its working!" Luigi said.

"I hope this works. If it doesn't, I don't know what else will work!" Mario replied.

Suddenly, the shaking stopped and the door began sliding open, revealing a dark room with brick walls.

"It worked!" Luigi said. "Thank goodness I gave you that diamond!"

"No kidding!" Mario said. "What are the odds?"

"Let's see what's inside." Luigi said.

The brothers walked into the dark room and were surprised at what they saw next...

* * *

**The brothers just solved another riddle, this time by luck! Had they not possessed a loose diamond chunk obtained from the diamond caves back in the Mushroom Kingdom, they would have reached a dead end! Luckily, fate seems to be on their side.**

**What treasures lurk behind the door? Will Mario and Luigi ever find a way out? If so, where will they end up? The answers will have to wait for now, but I can assure you that they will be revealed very soon. See you later! :)**

**saturn95**


	44. Part 2, Chapter 24

**24**

Blaring alarms echoed through Bowser's castle as Peach, Daisy, and Pauline ran through the halls trying to find a possible exit leading out of the underground basement complex. They gasped when the frantic footsteps of a few Koopa Troops coming from down another hall that branched out from where they were standing.

"Quick! Behind the corner!" Pauline whispered.

The three girls quickly hugged the wall to avoid being seen by the enemies. Luckily, they kept running down the hall and they went unnoticed.

"That was really close!" Peach said.

"Yeah, too close!" Daisy said. "I just wish Mario and Luigi were here..."

"Me too..." Peach said. "They'd blast their way in and help us get out of here."

"You should've seen them in Birachai." Pauline said. "They pretty much wiped through Bowser's troops like they were dust in the wind!"

"I believe it." Daisy said.

The three girls fearfully peeked around the corner and looked down the hall where the Koopas originated and saw a doorway with a stairway just beyond. No other Koopas were in sight.

"Is that the exit?" Peach asked.

"It looks like it." Pauline said. "But still, I have my doubts..."

"Doubts?" Daisy asked. "What do you mean?"

"There could more Koopas on their way down here!" Pauline said.

"Well, there's no point in standing here if we're going to get caught!" Daisy replied. "I say we need to take the risk!"

"Daisy's right." Peach said. "If we want to get out of here, we have to be quick and quiet. She may be a little bossy about it, but that's just the way she is."

"I'm not bossy!" Daisy said.

"Yes you are!" Peach said. "Don't make me bring up your little incident with Luigi! Don't tell me you weren't 'bossy' when that happened!"

"When what happened?" Pauline asked.

Peach's face turned red.

"Nothing. You don't want to know." she said.

Pauline glared at the two princesses as though she herself was a queen.

"If we're going to get out of here, we also have to get along too!" Pauline said.

"SHHHH!" Peach whispered. "Someone's coming!"

"Let's go!" Daisy whispered.

The three girls ran down the hall and reached the door leading to the stairway to the floor above them. It turned out to be spiraling staircases that lead to another doorway a few spirals up. By what they could tell, the princesses and Pauline were heading into another level of intersecting hallways.

"Damn! This place is complicated!" Pauline said. "It's no wonder that prisoners held captive by Bowser have such a hard time finding their way out!"

"No kidding!" Peach said. "How big is this place anyway?"

"Big enough!" Daisy replied. "It doesn't need to be any bigger!"

Suddenly, Peach tripped and gave herself a nasty bruise on her chin. Daisy and Pauline turned around.

"Are you alright, your highness?" Pauline asked.

"I think I'll be alright." Peach said as Daisy helped her up.

"Thanks, Daisy!" Peach said. "That really hurt!"

"You're welcome." Daisy said. "You never be too careful on stairs."

"Quick! This way!" Pauline said.

"NOT SO FAST!" said an unwelcome voice. The girls turned around and saw Kamek standing in the doorway accompanied by a small army of Koopas.

"You!" Pauline said angrily.

"Well, well, well. Looks like the three prisoners decided to make a run for it! I knew you girls wouldn't be able to make it that far!" Kamek said. "You three never stood a chance!"

As the Koopas grabbed hold of their hands, the girls glared at him with ever-growing fury."

"What's the matter? Are you girls going to cry?" Kamek teased harshly. "You know how Bowser feels about that. But just wait until he gets back from Sarasaland, he's really going to be pissed at you girls for trying to escape!"

"Well, good for him!" Daisy said sarcastically. "I couldn't give a rat's ass just to care about his pet peeves!"

Kamek responded with a rapid blast of magic which knocked Daisy into a deep sleep. Peach and Pauline gasped.

"Daisy!" Peach cried. She turned to Kamek angrily. "What the hell did you do to my cousin?!"

"It'll be a while before she wakes up!" Kamek said. "Don't even try waking her up, because she won't wake for another ten hours!"

"You monster!" Peach cried. "When my kingdom is restored, the Darklands will be history, so will you, Bowser, and every last living creature that looks up to him!"

"We'll see about that!" Kamek sneered. "TROOPS! Take them back to their prison and add another locking mechanism to their door! They must not escape!"

"YES, SIR!" the troops said in unison.

_I have to do something fast!_ Pauline thought as her wrists were held together by a couple Koopas. _Mario and Luigi need my help!_

After only a few moments of thinking, Pauline suddenly acted out against the oppressive Koopa army, kicking the nearest two where it counted and punching Kamek in the face. Pauline started running for her life down the hall and as fast as she could.

"YOU ROTTEN BITCH!" Kamek shouted. "COME BACK HERE!"

"Run, Pauline! Run!" Peach shouted.

"SHUT UP!" Kamek said, knocking her out with rapid magic as well. Both Peach and Daisy were in a deep sleep in which they would not be awake for another ten hours. Kamek turned towards the Koopas. "Take these two back to the prison. I'll take care of the third on my own!"

* * *

Pauline fled down another branching hallway that took her to another exiting doorway. She ran up the stairs and down another small hallway which lead into a large foyer with two large staircases leading to more rooms upstairs. There were large double doors that lead outside and away from the castle. She knew right away that she had found the exit.

"Finally! Now I can get out of here!" she said.

Suddenly, Pauline was greeted by a bright aura of light, which quickly disappeared. She looked again and saw that it was replaced by Kamek, who was now completely outraged and ready to take her back into captivity.

"Hold it right there, missy!" Kamek shouted.

"You think I'm gonna listen to you?!" Pauline asked. "In your dreams!"

"Well, that's not a polite thing for a lady to say!" Kamek said.

"It's also not polite for a man to keep a lady captive against her own will," Pauline said, "especially if they're of royal decent! Now move along! I have places to go!"

Kamek responded by shooting magic at Pauline with his wand. Pauline managed to dodge it and maintain her footing. He tried shooting magic again, but he was not getting any luckier.

"Why won't you get hit?!" Kamek shouted at her in a frustrating tone.

"Because I have cat-like reflexes!" Pauline said. "Got a problem with that?!"

Kamek hoot a huge blast of magic at her, but Pauline still managed to avoid getting hit and hurt by it. Kamek was now flushed with pure hatred.

"You're making me weak!" he shouted.

"No, you're doing it to yourself!" Pauline shouted.

As Kamek started to make another move, Pauline suddenly kicked him in the head, sending him to the ground and causing him to drop his magic wand just out of his reach. Pauline picked it up and pointed it at Kamek.

"Looking for this?" she asked Kamek.

"Don't even think about waving that wand!" Kamek shouted. "You don't know what you're doing with it!"

"Of course I know what I'm doing with it!" Pauline replied. "I'm using it against you!"

"I'M WARNING YOU!" Kamek said. "DON'T WAVE THAT WAND AT ME!"

"One..." Pauline said.

"DON'T DO IT!" Kamek yelled.

"Two..."

"I MEAN IT!"

"Three!"

"YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR IGNORANCE!"

Pauline waved the wand at Kamek, sending a wave of magic towards the Koopa. Then in a flash of light, Kamek disappeared and was nowhere to be seen. Pauline breathed a sigh of relief knowing that she would not have to deal with him any longer, though she was confused as to where Kamek could have disappeared to and how she managed to use the right spell on him.

_Oh well, at least he's out of the way! _Pauline thought, remembering that the princesses were still in trouble. _Now I need to get back to the princesses!_

Pauline started making her way back, but started hearing Koopa footsteps coming from all around her. She decided against it and started making her way towards the front door. She was better off leaving the castle then dealing with an army of Koopas with a wand she does not know how to use, yet somehow she forced Kamek to disappear. The Mario Brothers needed her help, Pauline knew; she just needed to find them, wherever they may be.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kamek emerged into a different place and found himself buried in snow as he struggled to free himself from an upside-down position with his head pointing towards the ground. As soon as he could see again, he looked around and saw snow, pine trees, and mountains as far as the eye could see. The air was incredibly cold and the wind only made things worse. But the worst part was that Pauline had taken his wand and made him weaker than ever before.

"She used my long-distance teleportation spell!" Kamek said as struggled to keep himself warm. "Where the hell did she send me?!"

Kamek frantically searched for his communication device and found it in the right pocket of his magic robe, which was covered with snow. He sent a distress signal to Bowser and waited for him to respond...

* * *

**WOW! The plot is starting to thicken again! **

**Pauline is now fleeing Bowser's castle after fighting her way past Koopa Troops and blasting Kamek to different region of the world under miraculous circumstances. However, she leaves behind Peach and Daisy who are now under a sleep spell that will keep them asleep for the next ten hours. Luckily, Pauline is determined to find the Mario Brothers and help them in their quest.**

**However, Pauline has to escape Bowser's Kingdom alive. To do that, she has to make it past every one of Bowser's heavily guarded checkpoints without getting noticed by the Koopa Army. Not only that, be she has to do it _barefoot_. Will Pauline hold up to the volcanic terrain and make it out of Bowser's Kingdom in one piece? More importantly, does she have what it takes to find the Mario Brothers and lead them to the princesses?**

**Now there are two adventures taking place at the same time! I will be busy preparing the next chapter, so keep you eyes open for it! Until then, I'll see you guys later! :)**

**saturn95**


	45. Part 2, Chapter 25

**25**

Mario and Luigi were dazzled at the sight of precious stones and gold coinage scattered inside the tiny room in huge mounding piles which the brothers were unable to estimate their approximate worth. There were also huge treasure chests buried inside the huge stacks of coins and jewelry that did not require keys to open. The brothers were quick to dig all of them out to see what the contents of the boxes were.

"This is amazing!" Mario said. "Look at all this treasure!"

"I know!" Luigi said enthusiastically. "We're going to be rich now!"

"As long as Bowser doesn't get to it after we leave!" Mario said as he picked up a beautiful golden necklace encrusted with large diamonds and rubies. "I think I'll give this to Peach!"

"Look at these huge sapphire earrings!" Luigi said. "Do you think Daisy would like these?"

"I don't see why she wouldn't like them!" Mario said. "What about those large emerald bracelets you're holding Luigi?"

"Oh, I already know Daisy is going to like these!" he replied. "She may prefer gold, but she also likes the color green."

"I can only imagine why..." Mario said sarcastically, knowing that it was because green was Luigi's color. Luigi simply chuckled and continued digging through the treasures.

"AH!" Luigi suddenly gasped. Mario turned around and saw Luigi pointing with a shaky hand at a human skull that had been buried under a pile of gold and silver coins.

"Are you alright, Luigi?" Mario asked.

"Yeah." Luigi said. "Just a little freaked out that there's a dead human carcass inside this room. Why would it be in here in all this treasure? Did he or she get trapped in here?"

"I don't know bro." Mario said. "I can't be the judge of that."

Luigi continued digging and revealed the rest of the human skeleton and found a something strapped to its back.

"Well, whoever was trapped in here must've been here recently." Luigi said. "This person has a rucksack."

"Open it and see what's inside." Mario said. "There could be survival supplies inside."

Luigi opened the dirty rucksack after taking it off of the skeleton and felt inside. He reached and pulled out an old canteen that was empty and a few rotten red and green mushrooms inside a small bag that have since expired and dried up.

"What a waste!" Mario said. "They could've survived at least a little longer so that we could use them!"

Luigi simply tossed them aside and continued searching through the rucksack for any more survival supplies. The last thing that he found was a knife.

"This should come in handy." Luigi said. "I think I'll use this rucksack to carry some stuff too."

"Good thinking Luigi." Mario said. "You could probably put the jewelry we found inside that rucksack as well. There's still one more treasure chest that we need to open."

"Do you need help opening it?" Luigi asked.

"No I think I got it." Mario replied as he lifted the lid to see what was inside. Suddenly, there was a bright light coming from the inside of the chest and Mario squinted his eyes to see better. He reached inside and pulled out the mysterious light source and both brothers could not believe what they saw next.

"Did we just find another key?!" Luigi asked.

Mario pulled out the other key and compared both of them, finding that they looked almost identical.

"It looks like we found another key!" Mario said. "Awesome! That means we only have two more to find!"

Mario and Luigi gave each other a high-five when turned around and saw that the door was sealed shut!

"What the fuck...?" Mario said under his own breath as he attempted to pull the door open again. Unfortunately, the door was too heavy as the Mario Brothers appeared to be stuck inside.

"Great! Now what are we going to do to get out?!" Luigi asked. "There's no other way we can dig our way out!"

Suddenly, the two brothers looked up and towards the opposite side of the room relative to the closed door and saw the orange glow shining down upon them in the darkness. It was coming from a large hole in the upper part of the wall that looked like a crawlspace big enough for both Mario and Luigi to traverse through. They were no longer trapped.

"We can fit through that space easily!" Mario said. "I wonder where it leads."

"I can tell you this, it leads out of here!" Luigi replied.

"Well, let's stop talking about it and start working our way out of here!" Mario said. "I'll go first."

"If you say so." Luigi said.

Mario went up to the wall and jumped up to grab the ledge. He then pulled himself up and squeezed into the tiny gap.

"Come on, Luigi!" Mario said. "I think this leads outside! I think I can also hear running water!"

"I'm right behind you, brother!" Luigi shouted out.

Luigi jumped up and grabbed the ledge, pulling himself into the tiny crawlspace. He then followed closely behind his brother and they both started maneuvering their way around tight corners and sharp rocks.

* * *

After a few minutes of crawling, the ceiling was high enough for both Mario and Luigi to walk on their feet, so they got up and started walking through the cave. The floor of the cave was now covered in sand and the tunnel was starting to get a little brighter. There was also the sound of a moving river coming from ahead of them.

"I think we're almost outside!" Mario said excitedly. "I can really hear the water now!"

"So can I!" Luigi said. "Where did this tunnel take us though?"

"I guess we'll be finding out shortly." Mario replied.

The brothers rounded another corner and were pleased to see the light of day pouring in from the cave exit just ahead. They ran up the slanted cave and emerged into the bright morning sun on a cliff overlooking a fast-moving river. Mario and Luigi were free at last...

* * *

**The brothers are now in possession of two of the keys that will unlock the door to the second Crystal Star which is buried underneath the large pyramid. After following the orange glow, they were able to find their way back outside to a small cliff overlooking a river. However, despite their triumphant success, there are still a few mysteries that are rocking Mario and Luigi's minds: One, what is causing the mysterious orange glow phenomena and will they be able to find out? Two, what are the whereabouts of the princesses and Pauline? And three, is Bowser still trying to kill them?**

**I'm esimating that there might be around ten chapters left to this part of the story. After that, I will begin writing Volume 3. I can't wait! I have so many ideas through my head :)**

**However, I will see you the next time I update! I'll be looking forward to what the future is going to bring! :)**

**saturn95**


	46. Part 2, Chapter 26

**26**

Bowser was at the destroyed temple entrance helping the Koopas dig it out so they could reach the Mario Brothers and steal the Diamond Star from them. There was so much rubble left from the collapse that it took over an hour just to dig half of it out. But now they were able to make it through the boulders and into the tunnels beyond. The bright morning sun was already making the outside air warm, so the shade had become a luxury. But Bowser was unaffected by the warmth outside.

"The Mario Brothers shouldn't have gone very far." Bowser said to one of the Koopa Troops. "These tunnels don't lead anywhere except to a few dead ends."

"Are you sure?" one of the Koopas asked.

"Well, of course!" Bowser replied. "I've only been looking at the underground map for some time now! They don't indicate any additional exits or entrances! If it did, then, I would've had you guys find them and trap the brothers from there! However, since there isn't any other way to get in, they're already trapped!"

Suddenly, Bowser received a strange signal coming from his radio. It was a distress signal.

"Somebody's in trouble?" Bowser asked. "That can't be possible! I wonder who it is."

Bowser pressed the button to answer the distress call.

"Hello?" he said.

"Bowser, you need to help me!"

It was Kamek.

"Kamek! What on Earth is going on at the castle?!" Bowser asked. "What happened?! DON'T TELL ME YOU LET THE GIRLS ESCAPE!"

"_I'm not in the castle_." Kamek replied. Bowser fell silent and became enraged.

"WHY THE HELL AREN'T YOU IN THE CASTLE?!" Bowser questioned. "I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE WOMEN!"

"Bowser, I can explain!" Kamek said. "It's that dark-haired woman that you captured! She's the one who is responsible for this fiasco!"

Bowser rolled his eyes. "I'm listening..."

"Somehow she managed to get past the Koopa Troops and escape from the castle. The princesses are locked up though. I was able to use a sleeping spell on them."

"Yes, but what about the third?!" Bowser asked. "How did she escape from you?!"

"She took my wand and used the last bit of magic that was in it and used the long-distance teleportation spell on me!" Kamek replied. "Now I'm stuck in a different part of the world surrounded by ice and snow!"

"WHAT?!" Bowser yelled. "WHY THE HELL DID YOU LET HER DO THAT?!"

"I couldn't keep up with her cat-like reflexes!" Kamek said. "She knocked my wand right out of my hand with a swift kick! She's a fighter."

"No wonder I thought you were shivering!" Bowser said. "Hold on there, Kamek. I'm going to use my GPS locater with one our satellites to track you down...It shouldn't take very long!"

Bowser pressed another button on his radio and the GPS started giving a reading through the tiny speaker. Bowser listened to the numbers and immediately reacted.

"Kamek, you're not going to believe this!" Bowser said.

"What?" he asked. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I just got you're coordinates." Bowser said. "It turns out that you're very close to one of our outposts located north of the Mushroom Kingdom in the snowy lands!"

"You're kidding!" Kamek said. "How far am I from the outpost?"

"You're about ten miles east of the outpost." Bowser said. "My advice is to start heading directly west. Once you get to the outpost, there will any army of Koopas that will most certainly keep you in a warm place until I get there."

"Great! I'll start heading over there now!" Kamek said. "Can you let the troops at the castle know what happened so they don't worry about me?"

"I was already thinking about it!" Bowser replied. "I don't want my children to starve either! And don't worry, I won't punish you. It's that woman that needs to be punished!"

"I'll let you go, Master Bowser!" Kamek said. "My signal is starting to fade. Good luck finding the Mario Brothers."

"Alright, Kamek." Bowser said. "Hang in there and stay warm!"

Bowser pressed the button on his radio and the signal was finally terminated.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the Darklands, Pauline was nearing the first checkpoint just outside of Bowser's castle. Looking out towards the landscape, Pauline could see the faint outlines of mountains and erupting volcanoes laced with bright rivers of running lava. The sky was giving out a bright orange glow and the intoxicating volcanic fumes made it difficult for Pauline to breathe, choking her like a pair of strong invisible hands.

_How does Bowser live in these conditions? _she thought. _It's unbearable!_

Pauline's bare feet were also having a hard time dealing the hot stony ground. It was as though her feet were being roasted on a barbeque, though it was better than walking over lava. She was surprised that she even made it this far.

_If I make it out of here_, Pauline thought, _I'll be the first person to escape from Bowser's Kingdom alive!_ _I just hope that the Mario Brothers are alright! And the princesses...Why did I have to leave them behind?!_

As thoughts continued to race through her head, Pauline looked up at the checkpoint and saw Koopas pacing furiously and observing the scene from watch towers above a towering brick wall laced with barbed wire on a medieval-styled walkway which surrounded the castle for protection. She was surprised that none of them saw her, but there was always that constant danger of getting caught.

"How am I going to get past these freaks?" Pauline asked herself. "There's no way I'm going to climb that large wall without getting electrocuted!"

Suddenly, she spotted something in the ground that seemed very peculiar. It was a storm drain entrance, leading to an underground sewage system. Pauline grimaced at the thought of traversing the sewers, but she knew it was the only way to get out of Bowser's Kingdom unnoticed, or at least _try_ to get away unnoticed.

"Well, here goes nothing..." Pauline said to herself as she opened the lid and started climbing down the rusty metal ladder. Already, she could smell the unbearable stench of raw sewage from below. Pauline wanted to throw up, but she managed to stay strong and continue down until she reached the bottom. The smell was now even stronger and Pauline's eyes began to water as she gagged uncontrollably. She walked down a small tunnel until she finally reached the underground river that was stuffed with feces, trash, and everything else that was disgusting. Pauline gasped at the sight of both a Koopa carcass and a human carcass sticking out of the greenish-brown muck. It was too much for her to take in, so she ended up throwing up even after trying to fight the sick feeling.

_This place is disgusting!_ Pauline thought. _I'm just glad there are places to walk along the edges of the river to traverse on! I'm not walking through that crap!_

Indeed, the sewage tunnels were lined with walkways and the tunnels seemed to form a large maze underneath the whole kingdom. Pauline started walking down the main tunnel followed it to see where it would take her. It was now just a matter of finding the right path...

* * *

**Pauline is now trying to make her way out of the Darklands through the stormdrains. It turns out that the sewers are reaking with death and possibly a long and dark history of mass murder! However, Pauline never considers the possibility because she was too overwhelmed by the wretched odor.**

**Bowser's conversation with Kamek seems a little bit more controlled this time, despite the current circumstances that each of them have found themselves in. Kamek tells Bowser of the events that occured back at the castle and informs him that he is in another part of the world thanks to the actions of Pauline. Bowser activates the GPS and determines Kamek's location: a region just north of the Mushroom Kingdom that is dominated by ice and snow. However, instead of yelling up a fire storm, Bowser simply urges Kamek to travel to the nearest outpost which he had set up in these snowbound regions to seek help from the Koopa Troops that are stationed there. **

**I've just totalled the numbers... When counting both the chapters from Volume 1 and this volume, this will mark my 80th chapter! Holy crap!**

**Don't worry, this story isn't going to end anytime soon. There are still plenty of things to happen before the final showdown and the Mario Brothers' rise to stardom! But for now, I will see all of you later until I post the next chapter. Happy reading! :)**

**saturn95 **


	47. Part 2, Chapter 27

**27**

Mario and Luigi continued starring out into the horizon as the landscape around them continued to brighten with the arrival of the desert sun. Facing straight across from the cave to the north, the brothers could see huge distance mountains with some vegetation and another oasis with palm trees just across the raging river. The air around them was already warm, and it was also surprisingly silent. They could only hear the faint rustling of sand in the light wind that was coming from the west.

"Where are we?" Luigi asked. "This place doesn't look familiar."

"We're probably just north of the pyramids." Mario said. "They would probably be just behind these cliffs, but we're too low to see them.

"How are we going to get back up?" Luigi asked. There's no way we can climb these steep rocks!"

"I know that there's a place along this river where the rocks are level enough for us to climb." Mario said. "I'm not sure where though, but I also know that this river takes us directly east of the pyramids. The fastest way to get there is to swim with the current."

"And _how _do you know all of this?" Luigi asked.

"I've seen a map of this place." Mario replied.

"Are you sure the current isn't too fast?" Luigi asked.

"We'll be fine." Mario said. "Trust me."

"I just hope you're right." Luigi said. "I don't want to get swept to a strange place."

"We're already in a strange place." Mario said.

The brothers walked to the edge of cliff and observed the moving water just below them. Although the water was not raging, it was still fast enough to make it difficult for Mario and Luigi to climb back out. Still, they figured that the water was safe enough for them dive into. On the count of three, both brothers jumped off the cliff and splashed into the cool water below. They surfaced and started riding the current.

"That sure woke me up!" Luigi said in a shivery tone.

"Don't remind me!" Mario said. "I haven't slept for hours!"

"Neither have I." Luigi replied. "The last thing I need is a Cheep-Cheep biting me in the ass!"

Mario laughed.

After about half an hour of floating the river, the waters started to calm and the brothers were able to find a small sand bar to climb out. The sun had already risen almost halfway up the now blue sky and the warmth was already starting to overwhelm them, despite being soaked from their morning swim. They climbed up the rocks and saw the pyramids looming in the distance once again. This time, they were looking straight at the eastern pyramid, which was the closest. The large middle pyramid with its glowing tip was looming behind it. At the same time, mirages were starting to distort Mario and Luigi's view and play tricks on their eyes. Luigi pulled out the canteen.

"I got some water in the canteen." Luigi said. "I don't how pure it is, but I think it's pure enough to drink."

"Awesome." Mario said. "Just remember to share."

"Don't worry, Mario." Luigi replied. "I won't let you get dehydrated."

As the brothers continued walking through the hot desert towards the pyramids, the wind began getting stronger around them and clouds of dust started picking up from the ground. Huge dust devils were seen towering in the distance like tornadoes against the desert vista, swirling and moving about and sending grains of sand into the hot, dry air.

"Ouch! The sand is stinging my eyes!" Luigi said.

"I'm surprised that I'm still walking on blistered feet!" Mario said. "At least we aren't too far from the pyramids!"

"I don't see any of Bowser's troops." Luigi said. "I wonder where they've gone to."

"I don't know, but I don't like it." Mario said. "Something tells me that they are up to something. Either they think we're still trapped inside the temple, or they think we might be somewhere else."

"I don't think they know that we made it out." Luigi said. "I mean, why would they? They don't know that there's another way out."

"You're right." Mario replied. "That gets us more time to find the two other keys, too. So far, we've found the keys of the west and the north according to the riddle. My best guess is that eastern key is located in that pyramid straight ahead."

Mario pointed to the pyramid.

"Let's see what we can find." Luigi said.

Just then, the two brothers spotted two Pokey cactus plants roaming around the desert. They noticed Mario and Luigi just as they started getting close. The brothers froze and looked around and saw several other Pokeys gliding through the sand towards them. Everywhere they looked, more Pokeys appeared. Pretty soon, there were too many cacti to count. They were surrounded.

"Oh no!" Mario said. "No these things!"

"Great!" Luigi said sarcastically. "Just what we needed!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Luigi." Mario said. "These things are very deadly! I used to know somebody in school that almost died from being cut by one of them with their razor-sharp spikes! He was on the athletic team."

"What should we do?" Luigi asked. "We're running low on flowers. We can't just punch them!"

The Pokey plants were getting ever closer to the Mario brothers as they panicked to find a way out of the trap. Mario suddenly took the rucksack from his back and pulled out two of the power stars that were concealed inside. He gave one of them to Luigi.

"I think it's about time we discovered what these things can do!" Mario said.

"You can't be serious!" Luigi said. "These things are too rare to use! Besides, we don't even know how to use them!"

Suddenly, the stars began to glow and the brothers were suddenly overwhelmed with extraordinary power that seemed to slow everything around them as if time itself were being warped in their favor. Their bodies were seething with star power. They were now temporarily invincible.

"So that's what the stars do?!" Luigi asked in awe. "Wow!"

"I feel like I'm at the top of the world!" Mario said. "Let's kick some cactus ass!"

The Pokeys realized their potential fate and started to flee. But the brothers were too fast for them. One by one, Mario and Luigi blasted through each of the Pokeys and watched them disintegrate from the blow of their fists. Mario was suddenly surrounded, but he was able to swipe all the cacti with a roundhouse kick. Luigi punched his way through a group of remaining Pokeys and obliterated them. The brothers were back to back when the power started to dwindle away and time continued at its usual pace. Mario and Luigi could only stand in silence after the power disappeared.

"Remind me to save these for Bowser!" Mario said.

Luigi simply laughed and they both continued walking to the eastern pyramid with renewed energy and confidence.

* * *

**Mario and Luigi have finally discovered the power of the power stars! YAY! I do apologize for not updating for well over a week. School has been giving me such a hard time lately that I haven't been able to get around it to update the story. But I'm glad I got everything out of the way, because now I can write again!**

**The brothers are now in search of the eastern key, after which they still have to find the southern key before opening the door to the second Crystal Star. What other dangers could be lurking in the desert? What are the current wherabouts of Bowser and his platoon? Will there be another encounter?**

**These questions will be answered as Volume 2 nears its conclusion... I can't wait to get started on Volume 3! Anyway, keep your eyes open for the next update. Hopefully I'll be able to update more often this week! If not, its probably because I'm working on schoolwork. I'll see you in the next chapter :)**

**saturn95**


	48. Part 2, Chapter 28

**28**

"It can't be!" Bowser said in a flabbergasted tone as he starred at a wall covered with beautiful mosaics which glowed under the light of his torch. "We've searched everywhere in this god damned labyrinth and the brothers are nowhere to be found! Where the hell are they?!"

"I haven't a clue, sir." one of the red-shelled Koopas said. "Maybe they managed to slip past us while we were searching down the other cave."

"Impossible!" Bowser shouted. "I had a couple of troops on the lookout while we searched the tunnels! If they tried escaping, they would've been captured!"

"Are you sure they wouldn't get pummeled by them?"

Bowser took out his little radio and tuned to the appropriate channel.

"Do you copy?" he asked.

"Loud and clear!" said the guard at the other end.

"Have you seen any sign of the brothers near the temple entrance?" Bowser asked.

"No, sir." said the guard.

"Alright, then." Bowser said. "If you do see them, just holler at me through the radio."

"Will do."

Bowser was now frustrated.

"How the hell did those two brothers get out of here?!" he asked out loud. "They couldn't have just walked through these walls!"

"I'm stumped, sir!" said a green-shelled Koopa. "This is the toughest brainteaser I've ever encountered!"

"Well, we need to solve it!" Bowser shouted. "Otherwise, the brothers might get a hold of the next star!"

"But we don't even know where they're at!" shouted the red-shelled Koopa.

"THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO START LOOKING!" Bowser yelled, slamming his fist onto a diamond chunk that was embedded in the wall. Suddenly, wall started moving and Bowser discovered that it was a door.

"What did I do?!" Bowser asked. "Was that supposed to happen?"

"Let's take a look inside!" said the green-shelled Koopa.

Bowser and his small platoon walked inside the room and were astounded by the amount of gold coinage and jewelry inside.

"I think you found a treasure room, sir!" said the red-shelled Koopa enthusiastically.

"Look at this!" Bowser said, pointing to an open, empty treasure box. "Someone stole the boxes contents! I wonder what used to be inside."

"Master, Bowser!" shouted the green-shelled Koopa. "There's a giant hole in the wall over here. It looks like a passage leading outside! I can here the sound of water too."

"Hmm." Bowser said as he continued starring at the empty treasure chest. Looking around, he saw that much the treasure had been disturbed, like someone had been sifting through it recently. He started to think and suddenly came to startling conclusion.

"I think the brothers were here." Bowser said. "We have to get back to the surface and stop them!"

"But..." pleaded the Koopas.

"NOW!" Bowser shouted.

* * *

Pauline had been wandering through the toxic underground sewers for almost an hour before she finally found a route that looked promising. Just ahead was a rusty ladder which would take her back up to the volcanic surface.

"Finally!" she said to herself as she continued walking across the slimy concrete with her bare feet. "Time to get out of this death trap!"

Pauline started up the ladder very slowly and carefully to ensure that her feet would not suffer any injury. Once she got to the top, she pushed the metal lid up and pushed it over to create an opening for her to escape. She then climbed out and took in the 'fresh' air.

"Where am I now?" Pauline asked herself as she looked around at the scenery. She could see Bowser's castle in the distance along with the huge guard towers that loomed at the first checkpoint. Looking the other direction, Pauline could see bridges going over rivers of seething lava. Farther away was the second checkpoint which was armed with huge bullet bill cannons on both sides.

"That doesn't look too promising!" Pauline said to herself. Suddenly, she heard loud sirens echoing out in the distance.

"Somehow I need to get past the cannon without being noticed." Pauline said to herself as she attempted to devise a plan. She took out Kamek's wand which had since regained a large portion of magic. She had a new idea.

"Maybe I could just blast right through them!" Pauline said. "Or at least warp them somewhere else. I wish I knew how this worked exactly... But what choice do I have?"

Pauline took a deep breath, even though the air was hazardous, and started making her way to the next checkpoint across the first bridge over a river of seething lava. She looked up and heard a blast coming from the cannon as a bullet bill started heading towards her at an incredible. She immediately ran and jumped out of the way as the bullet bill exploded upon contact with the ground, sending the bridge into the lava where it erupted in a tower of flames. Pauline quickly got back onto her feet as another bullet bill headed her way.

"Great!" she said to herself. "They know where I'm at now!"

Pauline sprinted along the trail as the second bullet bill exploded behind her. She took out Kamek's wand and started to wave it, not knowing what she was doing. As a third bullet bill came at her, she waved the wand at it and watched as the projectile randomly changed course and headed towards the gate at the second checkpoint. The Koopas that were stationed at the gate were in hysteria as the bullet bill exploded, leaving a giant opening in the wall for Pauline to escape through. Troops went flying through the air, landing on the hard volcanic ground with deadly force.

"Once again, you've ceased to let me down." Pauline said as she examined the magic wand. "I can see why Kamek would keep this with him all the time! Still, I think it has better uses."

Pauline quickly ran across another bridge that crossed another river of molten lava and sprinted through the second checkpoint to avoid Koopa detection. She looked back and saw that there were no Koopas left after the explosion. They were all dead and laying face-down to the ground.

"I need to get out of here before more Koopas arrive!" Pauline said. "I hope I make it out soon!"

As she continued down the trail, she rounded a corner and suddenly found herself looking over the edge of a tall cliff that was overlooking a large, extensive valley. There were many small buildings dotting the valley floor and platoons of Koopa Troops were marching through cracked roadways in unison. There was also a section on the far side of the town that contained many airships, possibly an airport used for private military missions. Walking down the trail, Pauline became terrified the closer she got to the village. Somehow, she would have to make it through the village alive, for it was the only path that would take her out of the Darklands.

* * *

**Out of the frying pan and into the fire... Pauline made it out of the underground sewers and past the second checkpoint, but now has to venture through a Koopa village in order to safely exit the Darklands, or so she thinks. Is there another way for her to exit the Darklands? Or is there more hidden danger that lurks beyond the village that she's unaware of? Will she make it out? If so, how?**

**Bowser's temperment has increased once again to its normal level as he discovers that Mario and Luigi are nowhere hidden in the tunnels. Instead, he finds the hidden room that the brothers used to escape the labyrinth by unwittingly pressing the diamond chip they used to open the secret door in the first place. With Mario and Luigi gone, Kamek stranded in the snow in the north, and Pauline escaping from the Darklands, Bowser's fury is sure to rise anytime soon and it may turn ugly if he doesn't get his way soon. Only time will tell for sure!**

**In the mean time, Mario and Luigi are about the explore the eastern pyramid to search for one of the two remaining keys to the second Crystal Star. What will they find? As always, I'll see you the next time I update and I will also be busy formulating possible scenarios for Volume 3 (yes, I'm that excited!). See you later :)**

**saturn95**


	49. Part 2, Chapter 29

**29**

Mario and Luigi climbed up the pyramid and found its entrance. As they entered, they were once again treated to a dark tunnel that ran downward to a central room. The light of the sun was shining directly inside the pyramid, which made it easier for the brothers to see. They reached the central room and were dismayed at what they saw. Looking around, there was nothing of interest spotted anywhere. The room was desolate.

"Well, this is just disappointing!" Mario said. "There's nothing inside this pyramid!"

"It almost looks as though it was cleaned out." Luigi said. "If that's the case, I wonder what used to be in here."

"We'll never know." Mario said. "I think we've reached a dead end."

Luigi kneeled to the ground and felt a tear come to his eye. He tried to hide it from his brother, but Mario somehow managed to get a glimpse of it before he had the chance to hide it.

"What's wrong, Luigi?" Mario asked.

"Nothing...I'm fine." Luigi said, trying to hide his inner sadness.

"Something's wrong, Luigi. Tell your brother what's wrong so he can make you fell better!" Mario said. "What is it that's bothering you so much?"

"I'm just really stressed out Mario!" Luigi sobbed. "I haven't been able to concentrate on the journey as well as I should. I just worry about the princesses and Pauline!"

"I'm worried too!" Mario said. "In fact, I'm just as worried as you right now. But we have to focus on finding the two remaining keys to get the second Crystal Star. We have to stop the very _thing _that killed our foster parents and tried tearing us apart when we were infants. We have to get our revenge on Bowser!"

"I just want all of this to be over!" Luigi cried. "I'm scared! I don't want to fear for my own life anymore!"

By this point, Mario was almost to tears himself. He knew it was because neither of them has received enough sleep, but also because he shared the same feelings as Luigi. Still, Mario fought back the tears as he tried to help his brother.

"Everything's going to be alright, Luigi." Mario said in a comforting big brother tone. "As long as we stick together, we should be fine."

Luigi started to calm down as he wiped the tears from his eyes. He stood back up and started making his way back outside. Mario followed.

"So where else are we going to look?" Luigi asked. "We've pretty much searched everywhere."

"We still haven't searched through the labyrinths that are located to the south." Mario said. "I think we should start looking there and see what we can find."

"That sounds like a good idea." Luigi said. "We should hurry before it gets any hotter outside."

* * *

The weather outside was already becoming unbearable as the brothers stepped back out in the bright sunshine and started making their way down the eastern pyramid. The rays were beaming down on them like light that had been focused through a magnifying lens. The golden tips of the pyramids only added to the trouble, for their reflected light was just bright as the sun itself so much as to roast the brothers from both directions. Luigi pulled out the canteen of water and took a nice quenching drink. He handed it to Mario, who finished the remaining half.

"It's too hot out here!" Luigi said, wiping the sweat that was dripping from his forehead. "I want to dive back into the water just to cool off."

"There should be an oasis over by where we're going." Mario said. "Hopefully we can find some more water over there."

"I think my skin is starting to burn again." Luigi said. "It hurts."

"We're both red." Mario said. "Look."

"I know." Luigi said. "My eyes are dried out too."

"Same here." Mario replied. "They're probably all red too."

Luigi didn't say anything, for he was too exhausted to say anything. His feet were blistered and roasting on the hot and sandy ground which seemed to radiate its own heat. The hot air was playing tricks on his eyes as the deceitful mirages tormented both Mario and Luigi's thirst.

"How much longer until we get there?" Luigi asked.

"We're almost there." Mario replied. "Do you see the palm trees up ahead?"

Luigi nodded.

"That's where we need to go." Mario said. "The entrance to the southern labyrinth is just below those small overlooking cliffs."

"Let's hurry and get under those shady palms!" Luigi said. "This heat is going to kill me!"

A minute passed before Mario and Luigi finally started climbing down the short wall of rocks to the oasis below. Beyond the palm trees was the river that they both swam in earlier, which continued further east into the middle of the desert beyond towering sand dunes. At the center of the thick collection of palm trees was a small pond with papyrus plants standing along its banks. Looking back towards the cliffs, the brothers saw a cave entrance that lead down into a labyrinth below. Luigi was surprised when Mario suddenly dashed behind a palm tree and hid himself among the plants.

"What's the rush?" Luigi asked. "Do you have to take a dump or something?"

"Yeah, I'll be with you in a minute!" Mario called out.

"What are you going to wipe with?" Luigi teased.

"Oh shit..."

Luigi started laughing hysterically at his brother as he struggled to find a solution to his hilarious dilemma... that is, until his own stomach suddenly began to churn. He suddenly had the rush to go too.

Looking around swiftly, Luigi quickly spotted and ran behind a tree, pulling off the straps of his overalls and stooping down before relieving himself. As he defecated in the sand, he immediately began to suspect that it was the sandwich he had yesterday, but he realized that the true culprit was dehydration. Still, he felt relieved, yet stuck at the same time as he looked for something, if anything, to wipe himself with. The smell of his own feces was starting to get to him as well.

"Maybe I shouldn't have laughed at you so soon." Luigi called out to Mario.

"Well, it's better to let it out than keep it in." Mario replied from behind the other tree. "Just use the plants around you to clean yourself. Be careful not to get it on your hands."

Luigi pulled a couple of plants from the ground and rolled them up into small pads before wiping himself with them. After he finished, he joined Mario over by the pond.

"Feel better?" Mario asked.

"Yeah." Luigi said.

"Me too." Mario replied. "Why don't we fill the canteen before we proceed into the cave?"

"Good idea." Luigi said, taking out the empty water container. After the container was full, Luigi closed the lid and started drinking from the pond with his hands. Mario did the same. After they hydrated themselves, the brothers walked over to the cave.

"Let's see what we can find here." Mario said as he led the way into the cool and dark downward-sloping tunnel. Once again, the brothers found themselves in uncharted territory.

* * *

**Mario and Luigi are now about to search the southern underground labyrinth for the other two keys, mostly the southern key since the eastern pyramid had nothing inside. The heat of the day is starting to take its toll on Mario and Luigi as they struggle to keep themselves hydrated and alive.**

**I'm not exactly sure what was going through my mind when I decided to give the brothers diarrhea, but I thought that it would be hilarious! After all, what's a good adventure/suspense story without a little humor? (If this is not your type of humor, you can chew me out later! But, this will be the only time something like this will happen in the story, I promise). **

**I'll probably have the next chapter in very soon. I'll be introducing a new element of the story that will ultimately have a profound influence on everything else that goes on, but I'm not going to say what it is, so keep your eyes open! I shall see all of you again soon :)**

**saturn 95**


	50. Part 2, Chapter 30

**30**

Back in the Mushroom Kingdom, at the top of the kingdom's tallest mountain, the Toadstool Observatory was in a flash of hysteria. Observations from the previous night showed something very large and unusual just beyond the planet Saturn that seemed to be headed towards the Earth and at a very high speed, faster than any comet or solar eruption that had ever been observed. Inside the main observation deck, the Mushroom Kingdom's chief astronomer barged into the room with a frightened look on his face.

"These readings are way off the charts!" he exclaimed. "I cannot explain what this thing could be! It almost looks like a giant cloud."

"What did the spectral analysis reveal?" one of the other Toad astronomers asked. "What is it made of?"

"We were unable to determine any chemical make up." said the chief astronomer. "All I can say is that it's not made up of anything we're familiar with."

"What do you mean?" asked another Toad.

"It's made of _dark energy_." said the chief astronomer. Everyone else in the room gasped and the room was deathly silent.

"Have any other astronomers from elsewhere confirmed our observations?" asked another Toad.

"It's been confirmed around the world." said the chief astronomer. "Something made of dark energy is headed straight for us! Right now it's passing Saturn and will probably pass by Jupiter in about four to five days."

Everyone in the room gasped again.

"When will it reach Earth?" another Toad asked.

"Well," the chief astronomer began, "we have less than two weeks before it reaches us. After that, God knows what will remain of us! We're doomed!"

Everyone in the room fell silent, except for one of the Toads who started crying. "First our king dies, then Bowser kidnaps Peach and Daisy and the world economies are starting to fall apart. Now we have to worry about this thing?! It truly is the end of the world! Please, Mario and Luigi! Wherever you two are, please fulfill our ancient prophecy! Help our world and defeat that blasted King Koopa once and for all!"

* * *

Meanwhile, among the moons of Saturn, the mysterious black haze of dark energy was zipping by at an incredible speed. After passing by cloud-shrouded Titan, Saturn's largest moon, it proceeded past much of the other major satellites in orbit around the ringed planet, without coming into contact with any of them and without being affected at all by their gravities. Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, Rhea, and Hyperion all witnessed the arrival of the strange newcomer as their icy barren surfaces were diffusely eclipsed by the cloud of dark energy as the distant sun's light struggled to penetrate through it. Even from the high and windy yellowish-tan clouds of Saturn, the light reflecting from its bright arching rings seemed slightly darker than usual as the cloud of darkness passed in front of the giant planet. However, it was not long before the dark energy was far enough away for the normal Saturnian input of sunlight to reappear and for peace to be restored to the ringed planet and its icy moons.

The cloud left the Saturn system unaffected, but still had plenty of mileage to go before reaching Earth. It continued flying through the solar system like a dark, haunting demon.

Next stop...Jupiter

* * *

**Uh oh! It looks like the whole world is in for a catastrophic celestial threat! Could this be the end of times? The astronomers at Toadstool Observatory sure think so. All they can do now is pray and hope that Mario and Luigi will become the great heroes that the prophecy predicted. However, Mario and Luigi still have no idea about the two-week deadline (besides hearing from Bowser that they have that much time to rescue the princesses)! Bowser already knows, but will the brothers ever figure this out? The pressure is definitely on now! See you in the next chapter :)**

**saturn95**


	51. Part 2, Chapter 31

**31**

Walking down into the labyrinth, Mario and Luigi illuminated themselves with a couple of the last fire flowers they had. Although they still had ten more to use up, they treated the power up like it was their last. So far, they have not been able to find a distinct pathway that lead anywhere. Instead, they have been traversing a maze of seemingly endless tunnels that at time took them in circles and even forced them to retrace their steps after reaching a dead end. The brothers were lost in the dark and were now itching for some answers.

"I wish we had a map of this place!" Mario said. "These damned passageways are too confusing!"

"Where are we exactly?" Luigi asked. "I have a feeling that we're wandering very far from the entrance."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Mario replied. "For all we know, we could be really close to the entrance, since these rocky walls look the same throughout the entire cave system!"

"I don't know bout you, but I'm not seeing anything that will lead us to either of the two remaining keys to the second Crystal Star." Luigi said. His stomach started to growl as hunger started kicking in once again. Mario could feel his stomach begging for food too.

"I'm famished!" Luigi said. "I feel as though I haven't eaten for many days! My body is aching, my throat is dry, and feet are blistered as hell!"

"I know." Mario said. "I feel your pain."

* * *

Meanwhile, Bowser and his troops were exiting the western temple with low spirits, especially the King Koopa himself. He had failed to find the Mario Brothers inside the tunnels, but he knew that they were hiding somewhere else around the large pyramids. He was determined to hunt them down and stop them from ruining his plot. The fire inside of him was raging with anger as the mid-morning sun kept beating down on him and the troops ferociously.

_I'm going to get you two! _Bowser thought as he popped his knuckles. _You two may be elusive, but soon you will fall victim to my awesome power and the world as you know it will no longer exist. It will all be mine!_

* * *

Back in the caves to the south, Mario and Luigi were beginning to lose their only source of light as the fire power started to leave their bodies. Soon, they found themselves standing in the dark with no visual references to go by. All they had were their hands to feel around. Suddenly, Mario spotted the mysterious orange glow just ahead of him down the tunnel and around the corner.

"Luigi! It's that strange light again!" Mario said, pointing down the tunnel.

"Did it follow us here?" Luigi asked.

"I'm not sure if that's the same light we saw back in the temple, but it sure looks the same to me!" Mario replied.

"_Come this way_." said a mysterious voice that came from the same general direction as the orange light. Mario and Luigi looked at each other with puzzled expressions.

"Did that light just say something?" Luigi asked.

"I don't know." Mario said. "But it's getting away."

The brothers ran after the light as fast they could as it got away from them faster than it did back inside the temple. Multiple times, Mario and Luigi found themselves bonking their heads on the hard rocky ceiling where it dipped lower than in other parts. Their heads hurt, but they managed to keep going despite the hardship. They reached a point where they were running down a straight path when the orange light suddenly stopped. Mario and Luigi looked down at the ground and saw a large pit in the ground.

"_Jump_." said the mysterious voice, which seemed to be coming from the orange light. This time, it sounded like there were two voices that were in synch. Mario and Luigi looked at each other with puzzled looks again.

"Did it just tell us to do what I think it told us to do?" Luigi asked.

"It did." Mario said. He turned his attention to the orange light. "Who are you?"

Silence.

"Can you speak?" Mario asked.

"_Jump_." said the voices of the orange light. "_Jump across the hole_."

The orange light started making a left turn, continuing down the tunnel. Mario backed up to get a running start, then jumped from the edge and landed on the other side.

"Come on, Luigi!" Mario said. "The light is getting away!"

Luigi jumped across the scary pit with ease and followed Mario around the corner to chase down the orange light. Upon reaching a right turn in the tunnel system, the brothers were suddenly attacked by a swarm of Swoopers.

"Get away!" Mario shouted as one of the blue bat creatures tried biting his arm. Luckily, he managed to shake the creature off. Luigi was having similar problems, but the Swoopers were trying to attack his legs.

"Mario! Help me!" Luigi cried as he got bitten twice in his right leg. Mario kicked the remaining Swoopers off of Luigi and watched them fearfully screech away down the tunnel.

"That ought to teach you some manners!" Mario shouted out to the vile creatures. Mario looked over at Luigi and saw him crying in pain.

"Did they bite you?" Mario asked.

Luigi pointed to his right leg and Mario gasped at the sight of blood.

"We need to find more green mushrooms." Mario said. "It won't be long before your wounds become infected."

"I need a doctor!" Luigi said. "I'm not going to survive if it turns out I have the Swooper disease!"

"I think you'll be fine." Mario said. "The chances of contracting a Swooper disease are very rare."

"I just hope you're right about that," Luigi said, "because I don't want to be the one to blame for Bowser being able to take over the world if it happens."

"It's not going to happen!" Mario said. "My god, Luigi! Be a little more optimistic, would ya?"

Luigi said nothing. The orange light was waiting for them at the end of the hallway, beckoning them to follow it.

"_Come this way_." said the two voices.

"Who are you?" Mario asked again as he and Luigi approached the mysterious light. "Are you more than one entity?"

"_We are both two separate entities, but with a deep connection_." said the voices. "_We are here to help you, dear Mario and dear Luigi, on your quest for revenge against the evil dictator_. _There isn't much time before the world as we know it comes to a dramatic end, unless of course, you two prevail in your efforts._"

"How do you know our names?" Luigi asked.

"_Let's just say that we've known about you since the day you two were born_." the two voices said.

"Do you two mind revealing yourselves to us?" Mario asked. "I really want to know who you guys are."

"_It_ _depends on whether or not your emotions can handle it_." said the two voices of the light. "_It may or may not come as a pleasant surprise to you_."

"Please reveal yourselves!" Luigi said. "We're dying to know."

"_If you insist_..."

The orange light started to morph into two glowing human-like figures. As their features began to take shape, the brothers saw that one of them was a man and the other was a woman. They both looked strangely familiar to the brothers. As they studied the two entities, it became obvious, yet shocking, as to who they were.

"Are you two who I think you are?" Mario asked in a surprised tone. "Or am I just seeing things?"

"_You would be right_." said the woman. "_I'm your mother_."

"Mama?" Mario said, his eyes starting to water. "Papa? Is that really you?!"

"_I wouldn't be here if I didn't know my own twin sons!_" the man said.

Luigi was crying and so was Mario as they struggled to take in the sight of their deceased parents. It was simply too much for them to handle. They both embraced each other in an effort to calm themselves down, but it only seemed to strengthen their sadness.

"_Boys, please stop sobbing!_" Papa said. "_Heroes aren't supposed to wade in their own tears! I know that your mother and I weren't able to be with you two growing up, but that's no reason to stop you two from your quest!_"

"Why did you two have to go?!" Luigi sobbed. "Why did you have to kill yourself, papa?! Oh mama! I didn't mean to kill you when you bore me! I'm sorry! Please forgive me!"

_"Shhhh_." Mama said. "_It's alright, son_."

"No it's not!" Luigi cried. "It's my fault that you died!"

"_They've been feeding you lies, son!_" Papa said. "_I never committed suicide_."

"What?" Mario asked, slightly confused. "But..."

"_I didn't die why giving birth to you two either_." Mama said.

"You mean everything we know about you two isn't true?" Luigi asked. "But, why? Why would everyone else lie to us about that?"

"_That's because no one wanted you two to know the truth about us._" Papa said."_They feared that you two would feel ashamed of us for what happened_."

"What happened?" Mario asked, still sobbing.

"_It's a long story_." Mama said. "_But I think you two deserve to know the truth_."

"_It all started the day you two were born_." Papa said. "_After the stork had taken both of you two for immediate care and was on its way to our house to return you guys to us, we were shocked to hear that a group of Bowser's flying wizard assassins attacked you guys. The only reason we knew was because you two didn't arrive at our doorstep according to schedule and the news arrive at our doorstep the next day. I immediately set out to search for you two, but by the time I reached Yoshi's Island and reached Bowser's outpost at the center of the island, I was not able to find any signs of you two. I thought that you two were dead. Enraged at Bowser's evil deed, I wanted to get my revenge on the evil dictator. I wanted to kill him once and for all. But my intentions ended in vain as soon as I stepped foot into the Darklands, when Koopas Patrols gunned me down with Bullet Bill weapons_._ After they killed me, they took my body and threw it into a pool of lava._"

The brothers suddenly had flashbacks of what Toadsworth had told them back in Rogueport: '_The last person to ever try and beat Bowser got thrown into a pool of lava. That was almost twenty years ago!_' It was starting to come together and both brothers became angry.

"THAT DAMED KOOPA KING!" Luigi shouted. "How could we have been so stupid, Mario?! It was him this whole time!"

"What happened to you, mama?" Mario asked. "What made you die?"

"_I was murdered as well._" she said. "_It happened while your father was searching for you two, though it wasn't because of a group of Koopas. Instead, I was killed by group of gang members that terrorizing the streets of Toad Town at the time. They broke into the house and pinned me to the ground where I was raped and then killed by getting stabbed to death._"

The brothers continued sobbing. They were unable to comprehend or respond to the horrible details that were presented to them. They felt betrayed by everyone else, but at the same time, they could not blame them for making up lies about their parents. It would have been way too much for them to handle as children, when were already have a difficult time in life. Still, they felt a deep sense of betrayal. Even now, it was too much to take in.

"I wish you guys were still alive!" Luigi said. "We miss you! All our lives, we've been lost. We've been pushed around by our evil cousins and everyone else during our school years! We had to live through one of Bowser's invasions and witness the death of our foster parents! We were forced to work at an early age just to keep ourselves alive! We've seen too much tragedy!"

"_But all of that is going to change shortly._" Mama said. "_You two are destined to do great things. I know this for a fact!_"

"You really think so?" Mario asked, wiping his tears away.

"_We know so, son._" Papa said. "_You two are willing to risk your lives to save two princesses from two separate kingdoms! Believe me, we've seen everything that's been going on and I couldn't be any more proud of what you guys have done! You two together have made much more progress than I could've ever conceived of accomplishing in my entire life! You two need to save the world from the darkness that threatens to engulf it. Everyone is depending on you guys right now! _"

"Don't worry, papa." Luigi said more enthusiastically. "We don't plan on letting anyone down!"

"_Good._" Papa replied. "_Now show the world what you two are capable of!_"

"_Before we must leave,_" Mama said, "_there's something you two probably need to reach the next Crystal Star_."

She reached out her hand and revealed to the brothers another key to the four key holes inside the central pyramid. The brothers immediately cheered up.

"Where did you find this?" Mario asked in a surprised tone.

"_It was inside the eastern pyramid._" Mama said. "_I apologize for giving you bad luck in there, but I couldn't risk you two getting cornered by Bowser's troops. They've already discovered that you two managed to find a way out of that temple._ _The last key is still buried somewhere within these tunnels. Just follow this tunnel and you should be able to find it in no time._"

"Thank you." Luigi said. "We love you two with all our hearts!"

"_We love you too_." Papa said. "_We wish you two the best of luck on the rest of your endeavors. Remember, we'll always be watching over you two, even in times of hardship. You two will always be in our hearts. _"

"You two will always be in our hearts." Mario said. "You always have been."

Mama and Papa smiled. They waved goodbye as their spirits started to disappear into thin air. Mario and Luigi suddenly noticed something strange about themselves. They observed their wounds only to find that they were disappearing too.

"They're healing us, Luigi!" Mario said. "Thank you, mama! Thank you, papa!"

"Thank you!" Luigi shouted.

"_Your welcome!_" they both shouted as they finally disappeared. "_Good luck!_"

Mario and Luigi stood in the dark tunnel and smiled, knowing that their parents were still looking after them; even if they were not physically there for them their whole lives. Their anger towards Bowser was now higher than ever before now that they knew the truth about their parents.

"Let's hurry and find that last key so we can open that door!" Mario said. "The next time Bowser tries to lay a finger on us, he is going to get it big time!"

"I was just about to say that!" Luigi said. "I'm right behind you, bro!"

They lit another fire flower and continued down the tunnel as fast as they could in search of the last key.

* * *

**What an amazing turn of events! The orange light that the brothers were following turned out to be the spirits of their own parents! They now know the truth behind their untimely deaths and Bowser seems to be responsible for both incidents, which of course makes the brothers even more angry at the evil King Koopa. They also know from their parents that Bowser has discovered their secret exit route from the western temple which was the reason why the brothers never found the other key in the eastern pyramid, because the parents were afraid that Mario and Luigi would get cornered. The brothers are also proud to know that their mama and papa are proud of everything that they've done so far in their lives (especially throughout the adventure) and that they're always watching over them from above.**

**The brothers now have three of the four keys needed to open the secret door inside the central pyramid to gain access to the next Crystal Star. The final key, according to mama, will be found in no time as the brothers are already on the right path. **

**This is my longest chapter to date! It will only be a short time before Volume 2 is finally complete! As always, I will see all of you in the next chapter. Remember, feel free to leave a review :)**

**saturn95 **


	52. Part 2, Chapter 32

**32**

Pauline quietly wandered the streets of the Koopa village with caution, being careful to avoid the sights of the deadly troops that roamed the streets almost aimlessly. Hiding behind the corner of a building, she waited as a whole line of Koopa soldiers stomped down the street. As soon as the coast was clear, Pauline started running down the street.

"Hey, over here!" a high-pitched voice called out. Pauline looked around to see where the voice was coming from.

"Did someone yell at me?" Pauline asked.

"Down here!" said the voice. Pauline turned around and found the voice coming from a barred- up basement window of the building she was standing next to. The creature of the voice turned out to be a green yoshi.

"You have to get me out of here!" said the yoshi in a terrified voice. "Please help me!"

"Calm down, I'll get you out." Pauline said, kneeling down to talk to the poor creature. "How did you end up here?"

"Bowser got us shortly before he reeked havoc one the Mushroom Kingdom by kidnapping Peach and Daisy!" said the green yoshi. "They kidnapped me and my comrades from our island!"

"Where are your comrades?" Pauline asked.

"I don't know." said the yoshi tearfully. "They're either somewhere else, or they've been killed!"

"That's terrible!" Pauline replied. "Hold on, I'm going to get you out of there!"

"My name's _Yoshi_ by the way." said the green yoshi. "I am the leader of my island. That's why I have the simple name."

"My name's Pauline." Pauline replied. "I've just escaped Bowser's castle and I'm trying to find a way out of his kingdom and find the Mario Brothers."

"You mean the two heroes that were predicted to save the world?" Yoshi asked.

"Yes." Pauline replied. "How did you know about that?"

"It has been foretold for centuries by the elders of our island." Yoshi replied. "Do you know where they're at now?"

"They're probably still in Sarasaland." Pauline said. "That was where I last saw them."

"Well, hurry and get me out of here!" Yoshi yelled. "I want to help you."

"Thanks, I'm going to need all the help I can get." Pauline said, taking out Kamek's wand. "Now stand back, I'm going to try and blast the bars off this window!"

"Where did you get that?" Yoshi asked.

"I stole it from Kamek." Pauline replied. "Somehow I was able to make him vanish into thin air. I still don't how this wand works exactly, so I'm not guaranteeing any perfect results. However, I think this thing runs off pure thought..."

"Please try!" Yoshi pleaded. "It's important that we get out of here!"

"Alright, here it goes." Pauline said.

Pauline started waving the wand, hoping that there was still a little magic charge in it. She kept thinking to herself _break the bars, break the bars, break the bars_. She hoped that her provoking thoughts would could the wand to do what she wanted. Finally, Pauline waved the wand and magic shot straight at the bars. To her surprise, the bars exploded upon contact with the bars and the window was open to the outside world.

"It worked!" Yoshi shouted in delight. "You did it, Pauline!"

"I did. Didn't I?" Pauline asked. "I'm actually surprised that it worked!"

"You're not the only one!" Yoshi replied. "Can you pull me out of this building? The sooner the better!"

"Yes." Pauline said. "Here, grab my hands and I'll pull you out!"

Yoshi grabbed Pauline's hands and started climbing up the stony wall inside the basement he was trapped in. With the last bit of strength she had, Pauline attempted to pull Yoshi out of the dreaded prison. Finally, Yoshi was able to emerge form the window and step outside for the first time since his capture.

"Thank you so much!" Yoshi said happily. "I thought I was trapped for good! How can I ever repay you?"

"No need to do anything." Pauline replied. "Although, do you think you can take me away from Bowser's kingdom and help me find the Mario Brothers?"

"Well, since you busted me out of Bowser's prison I don't see why not!" Yoshi replied. "We can work together as a team!"

"Oh, thank you so much!" Pauline said.

"You're welcome." Yoshi said. "Hurry and hop on my back before any Koopa Troops come this way!"

Wasting no time, Pauline climbed onto Yoshi's back and the two of them charged down the street and made their way out of the village.

* * *

Back at Bowser's Castle, Ludwig von Koopa was wandering aimlessly around his room wondering where Kamek was. He had not seen him since he arrived back at the castle many hours ago and was beginning to wonder about his whereabouts. The guard soldiers had ordered him to stay in his room while the kingdom remained on alert for the mysterious woman that managed to escape. His younger sister, Wendy O' Koopa was sitting on his bed starring up at the stony ceiling while playing with of her dolls. Being the fourth youngest of the eight Koopalings at age six, she is considered by her siblings as a spoiled brat with a quick temper, often going into a rage over little things. She is the only Koopaling other than Roy Koopa that was born without hair. Despite this, she is able to look beautiful with a large pink bow on top of her head.

"I'm bored." Wendy said. "When will the beepers go off?"

"I've already told you this a million times," Ludwig said, "they'll turn off the alarms when that woman gets captured again! Dad wants to be sure that she doesn't get away!"

"But why?" Wendy asked.

Ludwig became frustrated. "Dad is after two men that want to take him out of power! He calls them the Mario Brothers! He's afraid that that woman will help them beat us."

"Why do they want daddy to step down so bad?" Wendy asked.

"Beats me lil' sis." Ludwig said. "If I knew I'd tell you."

Suddenly, the alarms in the foyer turned off and the two Koopalings immediately stood up.

"Did they find her?" Wendy asked.

Suddenly, there was a banging sound at the bedroom door and the other Koopalings, other than Bowser Jr., stepped inside.

"She got away!" shouted Lemmy Koopa, the second oldest Koopaling. Although he is nine years old (just a year younger than Ludwig), Lemmy retains a childlike innocence and immaturity about him that is easily shown at times by his love of balancing on his rubber ball. Unlike the other Koopalings that have hair, Lemmy's hair is bright and rainbow-colored versus being just one color.

"What?" Ludwig said. "That can't be."

"But its true." said Roy Koopa, the third oldest Koopa (eight years old). "She was able to get away clean on the back of a yoshi!"

Roy is often described by the other Koopalings as a typical bully who likes beating up others for his own amusement. The main feature that makes him stand out is the pink pair sunglasses he wears. Larry Koopa, the second youngest (at four years old), was standing behind him. He has sky-blue hair and is often very bad-tempered and has a hard time getting along with the other Koopalings. When playing board games, he often cheats and tries to win by any means, legitimate or otherwise. But now, the only feeling that he was expressing was fear.

"Daddy's gonna be really mad when he finds out!" Larry said. "I'm scared."

"Hopefully he doesn't take it out on us!" Ludwig said. "If he does, then I'll just hide in here."

"Who knows what will happen." said Iggy Koopa, the middle child of the family (seven years old). "I just hope he doesn't breathe fire on us again."

Being hyperactive, demented, and unpredictable, Iggy's outstanding characteristics are his glasses, his crazy green hair, and his height, which makes him the tallest, thinnest and fastest of the Koopalings. Morton Koopa Jr. stood next to him. Being the third youngest of the Koopalings at fives years old, he seems to possess a cantankerous personality, which means that the other Koopalings find it hard to deal with him. He is also the only Koopaling to have a brown skin tone rather than the yellow tone of the others, the result of two recessive genes passed down from both Bowser and Clawdia.

"What are we going to do, big brother?" Morton asked Ludwig.

"I guess we just sit up here and wait for dad to get back, wherever he is." he replied. "Have any of you seen Kamek?"

"Nope." Iggy replied. "He's been gone since this morning."

"I thought I heard him get back here early this morning while everyone else was still asleep." Ludwig said. "Is Junior still in his crib?"

"The guards are taking care of him right now." Lemmy said. "I think they're feeding him right now."

As the Koopalings exited the bedroom, Ludwig could not help but think of how his father will react to the news of the escaped prisoner. Of all the possible scenarios that he could think of, none of them were good at all. He could only hope and pray that his father would not place the blame on him and the other Koopalings for what happened.

* * *

**And now...the moment Yoshi-lovers have been waiting for...Yoshi makes his first appearance in the story! Pauline has just rescued him from the basement of a prison building and they are both now galloping their way out of the Darklands to a safer place. Yoshi will ultimately have a larger role as the story progresses, but in the mean time he and Pauline are trying to locate the Mario Brothers.**

**Meanwhile, back in Bowser's castle, the Koopalings are restless after hearing the news that Pauline had escaped. Now all of them, especially Ludwig, are nervous about how their dad will react to the news. My main reason for including this part was to introduce the other Koopalings that haven't already been introduced in the story and also to catch up on their activity. And for those of you wondering about the princesses, they are still fast asleep from Kamek's magic spell, but don't worry! They'll wake up eventually. :)**

**saturn95**


	53. Part 2, Chapter 33

**33**

The Mario Brothers started jumping over small bottomless ravines as the going became tougher for them. Already, Mario and Luigi have avoided a few treacherous obstacles that threatened to end their lives in a matter of seconds if they failed to coordinate themselves correctly. As far as they could tell, the ravines were deep enough to take them to the other side of the world. After jumping over another bottomless pit, the brothers found themselves inside a different area where the walls were made of sandstone bricks.

"We're closer...I think." Mario said as him and Luigi cautiously tiptoed down the hall.

SHING!

The brother screamed when a huge set of sharp blades was suddenly activated in front of them by an unknown force. The blades then went back into the wall, only to scare the brothers again when they blasted their way out again. It was a timed trap. After the blades retracted back into the wall, Mario and Luigi quickly ran pat it before they had the chance to stab them. They both breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"That was a close one!" Luigi said as adrenaline continued rushing through his body.

"Yeah!" Mario said. "I'm surprised we haven't died yet!"

"Don't jinx it you asshole!" Luigi said. "Do you want us to die or something?!"

Mario slapped Luigi across the face.

"Oww." said Luigi. "You didn't have to do that you know."

"I kinda had to." Mario said. "You were being too cocky."

Luigi ignored his brother's last comment and decided to focus on the pathway ahead of them. Mario insisted that he follow him, but Luigi continued down the path ahead of him.

"Careful, bro! There could be traps!" Mario called out. "I don't want to watch you die anytime soon!"

"I think the last key is just up ahead!" Luigi said. "There's a small room at the end of this tunnel!"

"Well, wait up then!" Mario shouted back. "Don't leave your brother in the dust!"

"Sorry! I'm just really anxious!" Luigi said.

Mario ran up to his brother and started walking beside him as they entered a small deserted room that contained a solitary pedestal. Resting on top of the pedestal was the fourth and final key. Both Mario's and Luigi's faces lit up at the sight of it.

"There it is!" Mario said. "All of this searching has finally paid off!"

"Grab it Mario." Luigi said. "After that, we can get the hell out of here!"

Mario stepped up to the giant pedestal and observed the key in front of him. He grabbed it and put it inside the rucksack when huge twirling spikes suddenly came out of the ceiling and slowly made their way down the ground where the brothers were standing.

"OH MY GOD!" Luigi said. "MARIO, GET OUT OF THERE!"

Mario looked around and saw another doorway leading to somewhere else.

"Luigi! Follow me!" Mario said. "Let's go through that doorway!"

"What! Are you joking! We're going to get killed!" Luigi shouted.

"Just follow me! It may take us out of here!" Mario said. "With our luck, I'm sure the exit is just ahead! Hurry up!"

Luigi ran across the trapped room and performed a diving roll just as the spikes started to become too low for him stand under. The brothers continued down the new tunnel just as the spikes touched the ground and started looking for a way out.

* * *

After a little over an hour, the brothers emerged out of the same cave they entered and once again found themselves in the shady oasis next the great southern river. The sun was shining even brighter and hotter than before and the brothers instantly had trouble adapting to the severe heat. The shadows of the palm trees had also shrunk, making it hard to escape the glaring light. Luigi immediately took out the small canteen in his rucksack and starting drinking from it heavily.

"Do you mind sharing that Luigi?" Mario asked as sweat ran down his face like water. "I'm dying of thirst over here!"

"I just finished the whole thing!" Luigi said. "Not to worry though. The pond is just over there."

Mario took the canteen and went over to the pond to refill it. The light from the almost midday sun was reflecting off the surface of the water and right into his face. The light was so bright Mario had to close his eyes while he filled the canteen. Even then, Mario could still see the bright outlines of the light as bright auras of color amongst a black background.

"You know, Luigi. I could sure use another swim!" Mario called out. "It's too hot to be out here!"

"You might want to hurry, Mario." Luigi said. "I think I hear Bowser and his troops coming this way!"

"You can't be serious!" Mario said.

"If you don't believe me, come over here and peak over the small cliff." Luigi replied. "They're definitely coming this way!"

Mario walked over to the higher portion of ground where Luigi was standing and peeked over the edge. The chilling sight of Bowser and his evil henchmen stood before him.

"What are we going to do?" Luigi asked.

"We're going to run away from here." Mario said, looking back to the river. "By that, I mean _swim _away."

"Are you sure we can fight the current?" Luigi asked.

"Look." Mario said in a frustrated tone. "The current isn't that strong! We can make it! All we have to do is get out of this place unnoticed!"

"Well, what are we waiting for then?!" Luigi said. "Let's go!"

The brothers ran to the river and splashed into the nice cool water and started swimming up the current to somewhere they could make it past Bowser without being seen. Mario and Luigi knew that it would take longer, but it was much better than walking in the hot sun.

* * *

A few minutes passed before Bowser and his troops stumbled into the oasis. There was no sign of the brothers anywhere, but he was determined to find them and kill them before they could really mess things up.

"No sign of them anywhere, sir!" one of the troops called out.

"They're probably inside that cave!" Bowser shouted. "Everybody start making your into the cave! We have to catch those fiends! Don't just stand there!"

All of the Koopa troops started piling down the cave in search of Mario and Luigi. Little did they know that the brothers were already one step ahead of them, as they have been for most of the time they have been wandering the desert. It would not be long before they find out the hard way...

* * *

Mario and Luigi climbed out of a nearby river bank and climbed up the rocks to the ground above and had their eyes fixed on the pyramids. Their desert quest was almost over.

"Mario, I've haven't felt so confident in my life." Luigi said, his hair blowing in the strengthening wind. "I just wish that mom and dad were still alive."

"Me too." Mario said, reflecting on the spiritual experience they had earlier. "At least we know that they will always love us."

"I still get why we had to live through a lie for most of our lives." Luigi replied. "Was there a reason why we weren't allowed to know the truth of how our parents died?"

"If there was, I can't think of it." Mario said. "They probably didn't want us to try and kill Bowser because they feared that we would get killed in trying to do so. They were trying to protect us from the danger."

"Yet, here we are." Luigi said. "We're not only risking our own lives to take down Bowser. We're also risking our lives for the sake of the princesses and the entire world!"

"Yes, indeed." Mario said. "Come on, Luigi. Let's get inside that pyramid and insert those four keys! We're almost to the second Crystal Star!"

* * *

After wandering through the empty desert for the umpteenth time, Mario and Luigi were climbing up the steps of the largest pyramid once again. They made their way down the dark shaft and into the central room with the brilliantly colored hieroglyphics and starred at the empty keyholes with growing anticipation. Mario took out the four keys and gave two of them to Luigi.

"You try the keyholes on the right." Mario said. "I'll take care of these ones over here."

"Okay!" Luigi replied eagerly.

One of one, the brothers inserted the keys and turned them, creating large clicks with each latch that was opened. Finally, all four keys had been inserted and the room started to shake. Mario and Luigi looked at the colorful wall in between the second and third keyhole and watched in awe as it opened up to reveal another passageway. They both looked at each with smiles on their faces.

"We did it, Luigi!" Mario said, giving Luigi a brotherly hug. "I knew your translating skills would come in handy for this!"

Luigi did not know what to say to this. Even he was shocked about his own efforts paying off in the end. He was glad that his brother was acknowledging him.

"Let's continue down into the new passage." Luigi said.

The brothers walked into the darkened hall and each used a fire flower to see where they were going. After walking down a small flight of stairs, the hall suddenly made a 180 degree turn to another flight of stairs that was larger and led to a large dark room. The brothers emerged into a huge low-ceilinged chamber filled with torches on the wall that were somehow pre-lit, making the room brighter and easier to maneuver through. There were also two large sphinx statues facing each other in the middle of the room and in between them was the pedestal that housed the second Crystal Star, the so-called 'dreaded red star'. Beyond the statues and the Ruby Star was a large inscription on the wall, illustrating some sort of cosmic event as far as the brothers could tell. The writing looked more recent, but was still written in the same dead language.

"There it is, Luigi!" Mario said with twinkling eyes. "The second Crystal Star! Let's grab it and get the hell out of here so that we can lose Bowser!"

"Hold up!" Luigi said. "I want to go take a look at that inscription on the wall. I think there's something important on there. I think I'm picking up on something."

"I'll come with you." Mario said.

Walking past the statues and pedestal, Luigi led Mario over to the large inscription, which looked as though it were hastily carved out of the stone. Luigi's eyes widened as he read the text before him.

"What is it, Luigi?" Mario asked.

"You're not going to like this." Luigi said. "This is what it says: '_Here sits the dreaded ruby star, one of the seven Crystal Stars used by the notorious and frightening Shadow Queen in her efforts to control the earth and the heavens. The evil force that has ruined us has left and is expected to return again in the distant future. It has taken the form of a dark fog and will roam the recesses of space until the next alignment of the moon, sun, and the five naked eye planets. Our descendants must be aware of this coming danger, as the Book of Prophecies predicts that the darkness may fall into the hands of evil itself. Anyone who dares enter this chamber is asked to heed this advice and ensure that this star fragment or any of the other six do not fall into the wrong hands._"

Mario began having flashbacks of the exempts that he and Luigi read from the Book of Prophecies back at Professor Frankly's house: _A great power that has been locked away for millennia will once again be exhumed from its shadowy grave and may fall into the hands of evil itself__._ The great power was indeed referring to the dark energy of the Crystal Stars. Mario also remembered the chilling thoughts that he had about the planets in the sky and suddenly realized that everything was starting to fall into place. The alignment was in less than two weeks and it is directly linked to the powers vested inside the Crystal Stars! No wonder Bowser gave them both a deadline for rescuing Peach and Daisy!

"It all makes sense now!" Mario said out loud.

"What does? I don't understand. Luigi replied.

"Bowser wants to find the stars before the alignment of the planets occurs so that he will have the full advantage of gaining the dark power of the stars. That's why he's giving us the deadline for rescuing the princesses! And the symbols..."

Mario took out the Diamond Star and examined the symbol on the back.

"Now that I think about it, I really do think that this symbol is the planetary symbol for Venus. It's too coincidental for it not to be. There are seven stars, which mean that if this star represents Venus then the others would have to represent Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the moon, and the sun. That's _seven_ celestial bodies, the same seven celestial bodies, besides Earth, that are involved in the upcoming alignment! The powers of these stars carry powers associated with each of these worlds! That's why the evil powers in these stars are expected to return. It only works when the moon sun and planets are united, therefore the powers in each star get reunited and the evil energy will enshroud the earth once again!"

Luigi was lost for words. Everything that his brother said made absolute sense. "We don't have much time then!" Luigi said. "We're going to have to be quick to beat the clock!"

"I know!" Mario said. "Let's grab the star!"

Mario and Luigi ran over to the pedestal and grabbed the Ruby Star from its pedestal. On the back was a symbol that consisted of a circle with a diagonal arrow attached to the edge. It was the planetary symbol for Mars.

"Yes! We got it!" Luigi said.

Suddenly, a suspicious sound was heard around the two brothers, a noise which sounded like stone that was being blasted apart. Then, they looked at the sphinx statues and realized their mistake...


	54. Part 2, Chapter 34

**34**

The sphinx statues exploded in a shower of stones and pebbles and were replaced with living sphinx creatures that were now reawakened after centuries of seemingly endless sleep. They were obviously not happy that Mario and Luigi were walking away with the second Crystal Star. Immediately they started spitting fireballs out of their mouths at a rapid rate. Luckily, with a quick surge of adrenaline in their bodies, the brothers were able to escape every fiery sphere that was being spit at them. However, there was no place to hide. The stairway leading the outside was blocked by a wall of fire and the brothers knew that they would get killed by the two sphinxes if they tried putting the flames out with ice flowers. The only way that it would be possible for them to escape was to face the creatures in a game of combat to the death.

"WATCH OUT!" Mario shouted to Luigi as a large fireball headed straight for him. Luigi jumped out of the way and started running to the other side of the room. Mario pulled out a couple of ice flowers and ran towards Luigi as he dodged incoming fire. The sphinxes' eyes glowed bright lava red as their anger became more intense. The brothers were immediately separated as each sphinx started charging at the brothers and chased them at very high speeds. Both Mario and Luigi had to jump out of the way to avoid getting pounded by the deadly beasts. They both landed next to each other and struggled to get back onto their feet.

"Here, take this." Mario said, handing him one of the ice flowers that were still in his hand. "I think their weakness is the cold."

"Are you sure?" Luigi asked.

"Dude, fire and ice neutralize ach other! How much more sure can I get?!" Mario replied in a frustrated as they listened to the footsteps of the sphinxes get closer to them. The brothers sprung up in action and immediately rubbed the ice flowers into their palms to gain ice power. Their clothes changed color and they immediately dodged the creatures they tried sprinting at them again with their quick. Mario made the first attack, throwing a standard ice ball directly into the one of the eyes of the first sphinx. The creature let out a slight whine as the cold ice started to neutralize the fire in its eye. Mario saw that the eye he hit had turned black. Luigi was being chased by the other creature, throwing ice balls at it while he ran. He kept missing at every shot he made.

"Mario! For crying out loud, this thing is after me! I can't hit him with any my attacks!" Luigi shouted from across the room. Mario was able to reply, for the sphinx he was fighting knocked him to the ground and was looming above him with one flaming red eye.

"HELP!" Luigi shouted.

"I can't!" Mario replied. "I'm trapped!"

Mario looked up at the sphinx and saw its mouth get brighter as it readied a fireball attack. Mario struggled to get away, but the creature's grip was too strong for him to even budge. With last bit of strength he had, Mario tried to free one of his arms as the sphinx prepared its final blow. Finally, Mario freed his right hand and managed to hit the sphinx in the other eye with an ice ball, ultimately blinding the creature.

"HA! Take that you jerk!" Mario said, freeing himself from the creature and getting back onto his feet. Now that the creature was lacking eyesight, Mario was able to destroy the creature with a few icy blows. The sphinx turned to stone and exploded into a scattering of stone fragments.

"AHHH!" Luigi screamed as he continued struggling with the other sphinx creature. Then, miraculously, Luigi was able to hit the sphinx in the right eye with an ice ball and was able to easily destroy the other eye with any icy attack.

"Finally!" Luigi uttered his own breath as the creature ran around the room aimlessly. Luigi then finished off the creature with a few more ice balls just before his power started to give away. When the creature was weakened, it let out a shrill cry as it turned to stone once and exploded in a shower of rock.

"Luigi! Hurry and help me put out these flames that are blocking the exit!" Mario shouted from across the room. As their power started to disappear, the brothers desperately used the last bit of power they had to put out the flames. AS soon as their power disappeared, the flames were still there, but they reduced enough for both Mario and Luigi to simply skip across. They jumped over the flames and started running up the stairway back to the central room of the pyramid and continued past until they made it back into the blistering sunlight outside, which seemed a lot worse than it did half and hour ago.

"We need to get out of Sarasaland as soon as possible!" Mario said as sweat started dripping down his face. "There isn't much time!"

"I think I know how we can get out of here quickly." Luigi said, pointing down to the two airships that Bowser and his troops had parked in the desert below. Mario looked at Luigi with a strange look."

"Are you kidding me?!" Mario said. "There's no way in Hell that you're going to make me learn how to operate one of those! I can't even operate a car without pissing other people off!"

"We have to at least try!" Luigi said. "Time's running against us now, and it's the only way we can get out of Sarasaland quickly! The only downside is that Bowser will be even more determined to take our heads than he is now."

"I guess you're right, Luigi." Mario said. "Let's go!"

Mario and Luigi found a smooth section of the pyramid and slid down to the ground below, avoiding the time-consuming process of climbing down the steps. They carefully entered Bowser's campsite and slowly made their way to one of the airships that were docked just beyond it. They climbed inside the wooden structure and found their way onto the control deck after passing by many crew members' quarters. The room was also lined with many small open windows, each bearing giant cannon weapons that were readily available for any kind of combat situation. As they continued searching the room, they focused their attention on the control interface located beneath the large front view window of the ship. Surprisingly, the only thing that seemed to stand out was the giant wheel. There were also many other buttons and various gauges used in showing the altitude of the ship and the amount of fuel in the ship, among other things. Mario and Luigi walked up to the giant steering wheel and starred at it blankly.

"One of these buttons has to start the ship." Mario said.

"How do you know that?" Luigi asked.

"That's just what I think!" Mario said. "Once again, you are asking me something that I don't have a simple answer to! Now please, help me find the damn ignition!"

"You don't have to be so rude!" Luigi shouted. "I know you're tired, I can understand how you feel! Just keep your hotheadedness to yourself for once!"

Mario wanted to blurt something out, but he managed to stay calm and only give Luigi a glare. He did not want to get into any more conflicts. Luigi simply glared back. Then, Mario found a large red button that was located to the right of the giant steering wheel.

"Is this the ignition key?" Mario asked as we starred at it.

"Why don't you press the button and find out?" Luigi asked.

Mario pressed the button and two Bullet Bills shots from the front of the airship and struck Bowser's campsite in a giant fiery explosion.

"Oh, shit! This isn't good!" Luigi said. "Quick! Try another button!"

* * *

"What the hell was that noise?!" Bowser said him and his troops continued down the dark tunnels underneath the oasis. "Did you hear that?!"

"Yes we did, sir." said one of the troops. "It sounded like a couple of Bullet Bill missiles!"

"WE NEED TO TURN BACK!" Bowser shouted. "QUICK! EVERYONE BACK THE WAY WE CAME! I HAVE A FEELING IT'S THOSE DAMNED MARIO BROTHERS!"

* * *

"Hurry!" Luigi shouted.

"I'm trying!" Mario shouted as he continued pressing buttons. "Why can't you help me out Luigi?!"

"I don't to press anything that will do us any harm!" Luigi replied.

"Oh, quit being such a chicken!" Mario yelled. "Get over here and help me!"

Finally, Mario pressed a button which activated the ships powerful wind propellers and the ship slowly began to raise itself the ground.

"Yes!" Mario shouted. "Now, we just have to figure out how to maneuver this thing!"

"This is going to be a real challenge!" Luigi shouted as the propellers became louder. "The sails have to be aligned in such a way that we can fly higher into the sky."

"I think I know how to do this!" Mario replied as he pressed another button that he thought would change the direction of the ship to make it soar higher. Instead, the going started to get rough as the ship soared lower and started skidding along the ground hard.

"I think you meant to press the button above that one!" Luigi said, pressing the corresponding button. Finally, the brothers found themselves soaring through the air and increasing their altitude. Mario turned the wheel to the right and, sure enough, the airship started turning right to the south as the direction of the sails corresponded with Mario's wheel command.

"This is much easier than I thought it would be!" Mario said to Luigi who was starring out the window.

"Does this thing go any faster?" Luigi asked.

"I would imagine." Mario said as he searched for an acceleration control. Luigi took over the wheel and continued guiding the airship over the desert. Suddenly, Luigi spotted Bowser and his troops emerging from the cave next to the oasis they explored earlier.

"Uh, Mario..." Luigi said. "I see Bowser and his troops below us." They don't look so happy!"

"Let them be unhappy!" Mario said. "Why don't you go over to one of those cannons and give them a good shot while I turn this sucker around!"

* * *

"IT'S THEM!" Bowser shouted as he watched the airship approach from above.

"The Mario Brothers are stealing one of our ships, master!" one of the troops shouted. "What are we going to do?!"

The ship approached closely and appeared to be turning around. The side of the ship was now visible and Bowser saw Luigi poking his head out of one of the cannon windows, waving the second Crystal Star in a mocking manner.

"We got the second star!" Luigi shouted to Bowser. "See ya later suckers!"

Bowser growled in disgust as Luigi's head retreated back inside the airship. Suddenly, a loud boom was heard as an explosive cannon projectile was shot directly at them.

"LOOK OUT!" Bowser shouted as him his troops immediately jumped out of the way to avoid getting hit by the oncoming threat. The cannon exploded upon contact, creating a large fiery explosion that sent part of the oasis up into flames. Bowser got up and saw the airship take off in the other direction at an accelerated rate.

"FUCK!" Bowser shouted his face now red from intense anger. "ANOTHER STAR IS GONE! I HAVE NOBODY TO BLAME BUT MYSELF! I KNEW I SHOULD'VE KEPT KAMEK HERE IN THE DESERT!"

* * *

"That was so awesome!" Mario shouted as he guided the airship away from the pyramid sight. "I'm glad that little adventure is over!"

"Yes, me too!" Luigi said, letting out a huge yawn. "We now have two of the seven Crystal Stars and Bowser still has zero!"

"Let's try and keep it that way!" Mario replied as he continued guiding the airship away from the pyramids. Luigi went over to one of the smaller windows and watched as the pyramids shrank the airship continued moving north.

"Where to next?" Luigi asked. "Do you know?"

"I do, actually." Mario said. "The last time we looked at the book, I noticed that one of the Crystal Stars is hidden somewhere to the north of the Mushroom Kingdom. I haven't looked at the coordinates yet, but I can say that it's going to be a lot cooler where we're going!"

"Do you want me to read them out to you?" Luigi said.

"No, I got it." Mario said. "Why don't you go rest for a while? You're probably very tired from all that running around we've done."

"Aren't you tired?" Luigi asked. "You did as mush running around as me!"

"We'll take shifts." Mario said. "I'll control the ship for a few hours and then you can control it for a few hours. I'll guide us in the direction of the coordinates and then from there, it'll be a straight flight."

"Sounds good to me." Luigi said.

The airship continued north over the desert and the brothers were now on their way to their new destination just north of the Mushroom Kingdom. It would only be a matter of hours before they would arrive...

**END OF VOLUME 2**

* * *

**At last, Mario and Luigi know the whole truth about Bowser's evil plan. Not only are they subject to a time limit triggered by the planetary alignment, but they are also aware that the powers of the seven Crystal Stars will be reactivated once the alignment occurs. The brothers have a little less than two weeks to find the rest of the Crystal Stars, defeat Bowser and save the world from the evil darkness, and rescue Pauline, Peach, and Daisy wherever they might be. Yikes! Will the brothers prevail and meet their seemingly impossible deadline? Since this is a prequel to the Super Mario series, I think we all know the answer to that question :)**

**This is the end of volume 2! Be on the lookout for volume 3. I will hopefully start the first chapter soon and have it posted. There will be plenty of surprises in store for this next segment, so I hope you're ready! But for now, I will see all of you soon! Happy reading :)**

**saturn95**


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